Woman allegedly kicked out of D-FW bar for breastfeeding, she says in viral TikTok video

A North Texas mother and her family were allegedly told to leave a local burger joint on Father’s Day for breastfeeding, an incident she said made her feel “humiliated and demoralized.” 

Aura McCullough, a first-time mother from Allen, posted a TikTok video detailing what happened. The post went viral and stirred discourse around breastfeeding in public. 

The incident left McCullough feeling like she was shamed. A bar owner said, however, that they don’t prohibit anyone from breastfeeding and no one has ever been asked to leave because of it, as nursing mothers are welcome in the establishment. 

In Texas and across the country, it is legal to breastfeed or express breast milk in public. Additionally, exposing a breast while feeding is not considered indecent exposure or disorderly conduct and mothers are not required to cover up while nursing. 

McCullough, her husband, Gabriel, and their 5-month-old son, were out having lunch with their friends — another couple and their infant — at Nowhere Bar in Celina to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday. 

The two couples were enjoying their appetizers when a staff member, who was not their waiter, approached the table and told McCullough she couldn’t “breastfeed like that” there, she recalled. The staff member continued, saying if she was going to breastfeed, they ask she cover up, to which McCullough refused. She said even if she wanted to comply, she couldn’t because she doesn’t carry covers. 

McCullough then asked if someone had made a complaint, and the staff member replied saying the manager, who was apparently monitoring the security cameras, said she could not do that, she recalled. When McCullough asked to speak with the manager, that same employee said they were the manager.

Ultimately, McCullough asked for the check. The employee walked away then returned saying the bar’s owners would cover the tab, but she and her family would still need to leave. And they did. 

“I felt embarrassed, and I felt kind of upset,” McCullough said. “This isn’t a sexual act. This isn’t some sort of perverted act. I need to feed my son.”

McCullough said since the incident, the owner later clarified via Facebook that McCullough and her family were not kicked out for breastfeeding, but because she had her “breast exposed for prolonged periods at a time.”

“In no other circumstances, outside of breastfeeding, have I ever randomly and casually pulled out my breasts and exposed them to the public, ever,” McCullough said in response to the accusation. 

The Dallas Morning News attempted to reach Nowhere Bar by email for comment on the incident, but they did not answer any questions and instead responded with a link to a public video statement from one of the owners, named Katie.

“To be direct, Nowhere Bar does not prohibit breastfeeding,” Katie said in the video. “We have never asked anybody to stop breastfeeding. We have never asked anybody to leave because they were breastfeeding, and that has not and will not ever be our policy.”

Katie went on saying that they, the owners, were not present during the incident, nor were they watching the cameras, and everything that happened was reported to them afterward. The reports were about a “situation that made a young employee feel uncomfortable,” which led to them asking a manager for assistance, Katie said.

From that point, a miscommunication occurred, Katie said, and “escalated beyond what anyone intended.”  

“Just as parents trust us to welcome and care for their families when they come visit, parents also trust us to take care of their kids when they come work for us,” she said. “When a young employee brings a concern to management, we take that responsibility seriously.” 

Katie added they believe everyone acted in good faith Sunday and if they thought someone was asked not to breastfeed or told to leave for doing so, they’d be angry, too. “But that’s simply not what happened here,” she said. 

The video ended with an apology to McCullough and her family for their experience and a reiteration that breastfeeding mothers are welcome at Nowhere Bar and they should come visit. 

Located at 501 W. Walnut St. Suite 100, in Celina, Nowhere Bar is a women-owned, neighborhood restaurant that offers smashburgers, boozy milkshakes and games. 

The Sunday incident has sparked a debate among online viewers regarding breastfeeding in public. A flood of people commented under the two videos McCullough posted related to the event, many in support of her actions.

“A baby is eating. A. Baby. Is. Eating. That’s it,” one commenter wrote. Another person said, “As a mom who literally breastfed on the State House steps 26 years ago to protect the right to breastfeed anywhere, please file a complaint with the state on this. We can not go backwards.”

Several other people, some of whom identified as breastfeeding mothers, pushed back on McCullough’s account, saying she should’ve covered up. 

One commenter who described herself as a mother who breastfeeds asked why is it an issue to use a blanket. 

“As a breastfeeding mom, this is probably an unpopular opinion, but if you’re breastfeeding in public, I think a cover is necessary,” another commenter wrote. 

Another mother commented saying “my daughter would NOT eat under a cover. She had to eat. Babies first,” to which McCullough agreed. 

McCullough said she’s glad she made the TikTok videos, because she didn’t know shame surrounding breastfeeding was still an issue. 

“While I’ve had an insane amount of support, the amount of people that put shame on mothers for breastfeeding has been so heartbreaking and so disappointing,” she said. “I realize how important this is.”

McCullough is requesting a sincere apology directly from the owners of Nowhere Bar, rather than through a video online. She added that she tried to reach out to the establishment after the incident but was ignored and blocked.  

Further, McCullough wants video footage of the incident to prove what occurred that day.  

If she doesn’t get the apology and video footage, McCullough plans to take legal action and file a complaint against Nowhere Bar.