'It tore me down': Breastfeeding mother claims Wilson judge scolded her for bringing baby to court

A mother claims she was scolded by a Wilson County District Court judge earlier this month for breastfeeding in court.

The June 6 court appearance prompted Amanda Mullen, a mother of three children, to file a complaint with the state.

Mullen filed a complaint with the Carolina Judicial Standards Commission on June 8. She had been in court to extend a domestic violence protective order.

"I did breastfeed for a short time in the courtroom and then we left shortly after because it wasn’t my turn to be seen," Mullen said.

Mullen only had her 10-month-old daughter Sophia with her. She said she spent most of the three hours waiting outside of the courtroom for her hearing to begin.

According to Mullen, Sophia was calm and quiet when they returned to the courtroom. However, Mullen said she got an earful from Judge Wayne Boyette.

"Almost immediately, the first thing he asked me was why I brought my baby to court," Mullen said.

Mullen explained how she responded to Boyette.

"I let him know that I didn’t have anybody to keep her for me, and also that she was breastfed," Mullen said. "She needs to be with me most of the time."

WRAL News reached out to Boyette about what happened.

"It would be improper for me to comment on this matter at this time," Boyette said. "It is not over, but rather pending litigation."

"It is also my understanding Ms. Mullen may have filed a complaint with Judicial Standards, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on a possible Judicial Standards complaint publicly."

'I felt like something needed to be done about it, not just for my sake, but for any other women who might come into contact with this judge with their infants.'

Mullen explained what happened at the end of her appearance on June 6.

"He said, 'Don’t bring that baby back to court,'" Mullen said. "At that point, I was pretty much, kind of, in shock."

Rules about whether children are allowed in a courtroom in North Carolina aren’t very clear.

A judge is responsible for the decorum of a courtroom. It means the judge can ask someone to leave if they’re being disruptive. Beyond that, individual judges have a great amount of discretion when it comes to their courtrooms.

Mullen said she felt demeaned by Boyette.

"Just being talked to that way, it tore me down," Mullen said.

North Carolina Central University law professor Irving Joyner said a judge has enormous power in the courtroom. He said disruption in the courtroom is the only reason for a judge to voice concern.

"I would dare say that the experience that this mother had in Wilson County is probably replicated around the state," Joyner said.

However, under North Carolina law, judges do have the right to determine who can be in the courtroom.

"The law is on the judge’s side," Joyner said. "Whether that was an appropriate decision for the judge to make at that point, that’s another question."

Mullen said she was distraught and cried after the ordeal.

"I got home eventually, and I thought, 'I have to do something about this,'" Mullen said. "[So] I filed a complaint.”

In Mullen’s complaint to the state, she wrote that she was "reprimanded over and over" by the judge despite her claim that her child "did not cry or disrupt the hearing" in any way.

"The whole situation wasn’t right," Mullen said. "I felt like something needed to be done about it, not just for my sake, but for any other women who might come into contact with this judge with their infants."

The North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission investigates complaints against judges and can hold hearings. As a result, judges can be disciplined or removed from the bench.

"This is a very unfortunate situation and is one that people in the community need to follow up with this judge about," Joyner said.