MIDDLETOWN — A female trooper assigned to Gov. Phil Murphy's detail is part of a lawsuit claiming State Police have no adequate breastfeeding policy in place and that first lady Tammy Murphy would not let her pump in a carriage house while on duty at the governor's private home.

The lawsuit filed by Lt. Dawn Curran, Lt. Rebecca Hotchkin, Claire Krauchuk, and Capt. Wanda Stojanov says they were discriminated against because of their gender.

Curran alleges in the lawsuit that after she gave birth to her child in 2020, she was not allowed to use the bathroom in a building at Drumthwacket, the official governor's mansion, to pump breast milk while on duty.  Instead, she had to use a "dirty" closet. Male troopers were nearby as she pumped behind a closed door.

Why does an on-duty officer need to pump breast milk on the job?

According to WomensHealth.gov, "a breastfeeding mother needs to feed her baby or pump milk about every 3 hours. Otherwise, her body will stop making breastmilk. When a nursing mother cannot pump or breastfeed, the milk builds up in her breasts, causing pain and sometimes infection. Removing milk from the breast is a biological need, similar to the need to eat or sleep."

The website says that "bathrooms are not a sanitary place to prepare and handle food of any kind," such as breast milk.

Lawsuit says she lacked accommodations

She was also forced to find places to breastfeed or pump, according to the lawsuit. In one instance, she had to pump in a car in Atlantic City with hundreds of people at an event with people were looking in the windows of the car.

At the Statehouse, she had to use a storage closet nicknamed the "lactation room" set up by State Police.

Curran said that her supervisor in January violated HIPAA by asking Tammy Murphy if she could pump in a carriage house on Murphy's Middletown property. The question revealed personal health information because the question was asked without Curran's permission.

Tammy Murphy’s response was that it was not encouraged because of optics for guests who may be on the premises, according to the lawsuit.

Murphy is not part of the lawsuit.

Supporter of breastfeeding

If the allegations are true, her response would run contrary to her public support of accommodating women in the workplace.

In September, she was a supporter of the New Jersey Department of Health's Breastfeeding Strategic Plan. Its goal is to coordinate statewide efforts to increase breastfeeding, improve lactation supports, and help reduce inequitable infant health outcomes.

“The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby are endless—from lowering risks of breast cancer and risk of SIDS to encouraging bonding between mother and child. This plan ensures breastfeeding mothers are supported throughout their journey, increasing our breastfeeding rates and bringing us one step closer to making New Jersey the safest and most equitable place in the nation to give birth and raise a baby.”

The 30 best rated schools in New Jersey

Here are the top 30 schools statewide, based on their 2021-2022 New Jersey School Performance Reports — involving scores for language arts, math and attendance. (For an explanation of how the state calculates the "accountability indicator scores" and overall rating for each school, see page 90 of this reference guide.)

How much your school district gets under Murphy's proposed 2024 budget

Gov. Phil Murphy's porposed 2024 budget includes $1 billion in new spending for school funding including pre-K funding, pension and benefits, and an additional $832 million in K-12 aid, which is listed below by county and district.

More From WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM