Overview
- Dr Elise Turner, a Gold Coast GP and mother of twins, says a manager at the Melbourne Airport business lounge told her she was making others uncomfortable and asked her to leave.
- Turner says she was directed to express milk in a bathroom despite pumping discreetly under her shirt as a paying business-class customer.
- Virgin Australia issued a public apology, said it had reached out to apologise directly to Turner, and confirmed it had followed up with the staff member involved.
- Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, breastfeeding and expressing are protected rights, with potential penalties including fines up to $33,000 for corporations, according to legal guidance reported by 9News.
- The episode has intensified discussion about staff training and the availability of appropriate facilities for nursing parents in airline lounges and airports.