Paulisa Jefairjian, a teacher in Queens, had to hide beneath her desk to pump breast milk: lawsuit

A Queens teacher says in a complaint that she was compelled to pump breast milk while hiding under her desk, leaving curious children to wonder where the noise was coming from.

Paulisa Jefairjian, 32, claims Principal Grisel Rodriguez told her the only space for her to pump breast milk at PS 82 in Jamaica was a filthy, crowded computer-supply closet, which was already occupied when the new mother attempted to use it in 2019, according to her lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court.

According to court documents filed against the city, the Department of Education, and Rodriguez, Jefairjian had to “resort to the humiliating practice of sitting on the filthy floor under her classroom desk to pump her breast milk.”

The law mandates that businesses provide clean, secluded rooms for nursing mothers.

Paulisa Jefairjian claims Principal Grisel Rodriguez informed her that the only room available for her to express breast milk at PS 82 in Jamaica was an already occupied, filthy, and packed computer-supply closet.

Jefairjian said that the “improvised” milking station frequently left her stranded, adding that she could “only pop her head out from behind the desk to respond” when coworkers came looking for her, or that she was “held captive under the desk” while other teachers utilized the room for courses.

She stated in the lawsuit that at least once, the noise of Jefairjian’s breast pump distracted curious kids.

In 2021, when Jefairjian became pregnant for the second time, she decided not to return to PS 82 when schools resumed face-to-face instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic. She seeks undisclosed damages.

The city’s legal department stated that it would review the situation.

»Paulisa Jefairjian, a teacher in Queens, had to hide beneath her desk to pump breast milk: lawsuit«

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