Hotel faces protests after firing woman for pumping breast milk at work

A woman has been allegedly fired by her employer for needing to pump breast milk for her baby.

Ariana Gossard, a receptionist in New Jersey, claims she was dismissed from her role at Hampton Inn with her manager explaining that the hotel could not accommodate her need for breaks.

The 21-year-old Gossard, who began her maternity leave in March, was diagnosed as “high risk” due to complications surrounding the pregnancy and following Caesarean section. After returning to work, Gossard explained that she needed breaks to extract the breast milk, which she understood that she would not be paid for, but nevertheless that she was within her legal rights to take them.

In an interview with NJ.com, Gossard said: "The fact that I got fired for trying to do one of the best things I could do for my daughter is pretty messed up. It's a shame what we have to go through to try to feed our child.