New Jersey town employee calls police on woman for breastfeeding her child on the beach

An employee of Franklin Borough in New Jersey called police on a mother because she was breastfeeding her child on the beach.

Michelle Ayala told ABC Eyewitness News she was feeding her 2-year-old daughter in public last week when a member of the borough's recreation committee approached her and asked her to breastfeed somewhere else.

"She said, 'I see what you were doing there I would just ask that you do it somewhere else," Ayala told Eyewitness News.

Ayala refused -- and the employee reportedly yelled at her before calling the police.

"I just think it's a normal, natural thing, nursing a child -- whether she's one, or 2, or newborn -- and I don't think it's offensive," Ayala told NJ.com.

Police sided with the mother. Under New Jersey law, breastfeeding is allowed in public.

"I think that a situation like this is a good reminder to all about the rights of a breastfeeding mother. I was glad that the Franklin police handled it well, reinforcing the breastfeeding mother's right to breastfeed where she needs to," Franklin Borough's municipal attorney, John Ursin, said.