Toys R Us Responds To Overexagerated Accusations of ACLU

Posted on September 19, 2006

Just as I expected, the ACLU jump the gun on a professional press release without getting all the facts from both sides of the story.

I just got this email:

Hello Jay,

Please see the attached letters that were sent to the New York Civil
Liberties Union by Toys “R” Us. We saw the recent posts on your website and
though you would be interested in reading and posting the attached letters.

The first attachment contains a letter sent from our CEO, Gerald Storch, and
the second attachment contains a letter from General Manager of Toys “R” Us’ Times Square store, Elisabeth Ryden Benjamin.

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Bob Friedland

Here is what I read:

Dear Ms. Benjamin:

I have received your letter, dated September 14, 2006, concerning the events that took place at Toys “R” Us’ Times Square store on September 11, 2006 involving Ms. Chelsi Meyerson. I have forwarded your letter to Mindy Clements, the General Manager of Toys “R” Us’ Times Square for a response addressing the facts of this matter. However, I believe that a personal response is appropriate as well.

Toys “R” Us agrees with the New York Civil Liberties Union that we should do everything we can to provide for the best interests of our customers — moms, kids and families. Toys “R” Us does maintain a company-wide policy that any mother may breastfeed her child in the place of her choice within our stores. Beyond that, all of our Babies “R” Us stores have dedicated rooms for breastfeeding mothers. These rooms are clean, comfortable, safe and private, and we have spent significant amounts of money to provide this option for our customers. Our Times Square store, in particular, has a private area designated for this purpose. We are proud to offer this accommodation to those mothers who are more comfortable breastfeeding their children in a private environment, and it is our experience that many mothers prefer this alternative. However, we are equally respectful of the preference of other mothers — which, in New York, is their legal right — to breastfeed their children in the place of their choice within our stores.

Elisabeth Ryden Benjamin
September 18, 2006
Page 2

A positive store experience for all our customers is important to Toys “R” Us, and we take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to nursing mothers. In this instance, as I understand the facts, Toys “R” Us acted in accordance with New York law and our own policy. However, I have asked Ms. Clements to contact Ms. Meyerson personally to address her concerns.

Very truly yours,

TOYS “R” US, INC.

Here is another of the attachements:

Dear Ms. Benjamin:

Your letter to Toys “R” Us’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gerald L. Storch, dated September 14, 2006, was forwarded to me for response. I am the General Manager of Toys “R” Us’ Times Square store. I am also a new mother and feel that I am especially sensitive to issues involving a mother’s right to breastfeed where she chooses and the events that took place at our store on September 11, 2006 involving Ms. Chelsi Meyerson.

I have spoken to the employees who communicated with Ms. Meyerson, and the facts are quite different from those alleged in your letter and reported in the press. Specifically, it is my understanding that several employees involved offered Ms. Meyerson the opportunity to breastfeed in a private area designated for this purpose in the Times Square store. When Ms. Meyerson expressed her preference to continue breastfeeding her child where she was, in accordance with our company policy, she was permitted to do so. No harassment occurred and Ms. Meyerson was neither escorted from, nor asked to leave, the store.

Based on my investigation, Toys “R” Us acted in accordance with New York law and our own policy that any mother may breastfeed her child in the place of her choice within our stores. The Times Square store does have a comfortable, private area designated for this purpose, and it is our experience that many mothers who visit the Times Square store take advantage of this option.

Elisabeth Ryden Benjamin
September 18, 2006
Page 2

We are always disappointed when a customer is dissatisfied with their experience at our store. Accordingly, I will be contacting Ms. Meyerson directly to address her concerns. To the extent that she felt harassed or embarrassed by the efforts of our employees, we certainly apologize, and it is my understanding that the manager on duty apologized to Ms. Meyerson at the time.

Very truly yours,

TOYS “R” US, INC.

Well, we will see how this pans out, but it seems to me that it is the ACLU that are owing the employees of Toys R’ Us an apology. Perhaps they should get “compensation”?

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Comments

3 Responses to “Toys R Us Responds To Overexagerated Accusations of ACLU”

kerwin_brown on September 19th, 2006 3:19 am

We have two different accounts of what happened and choosing one over the other is questionable policy. I wonder if the nursing mother confused another customer with a store employee. It is also possible the store employees are covering up or the nursing mother added to the story. The ACLU may be encouraging her to lie as I believe they have been caught doing so before. Does anyone know of such as case?
middleclassguy.com on September 19th, 2006 8:40 am

Can the employees and Toys R Us sue the ACLU?
risorgimento on September 19th, 2006 9:52 pm

I imagine that what happened is that the store employees thought they were being helpful by asking the nursing mother to go elsewhere, but that things escalated to the point that a security guard was hovering over her. Whatever the case, the store needs to train its employees in the New York State laws that protect breastfeeding anywhere that a mother is authorized to be. Whether or not the NYCLU is advocating for a mother’s most basic right, an even-minded person can still admit that Toys R Us is responsible for training its employees in these matters. If I were you I would hesitate to accept the Toys R Us PR letters as the gospel truth. Just because the ACLU is your enemy does not make corporate American your friend.