Nationwide: This Is Seriously Messed Up.

Nationwide must really have it in for kids.

After their strange and misplaced Super Bowl ad about a dead child, they’re in the news again this week in one of the most bizarre and disappointing fails on the part of the American justice system I have ever witnessed.

Here’s what happened:

When new mother Angela Ames returned from maternity leave at Nationwide, she asked her manager for the ability to pump and store milk for her child. That manager, epitome of workplace compassion s/he was, said, “Just go home and be with your babies.”

The supervisor went on to dictate a letter of resignation to Ames that day, essentially forcing her resignation. (More specifics of the case here). She was fired for needing to pump milk.

Ames sued.

It would be bad enough if this were where it ended, that the Nationwide supervisor and high-ups didn’t fix the situation immediately, reinstate the woman, and apologize profusely. It would be bad enough that a woman had to sue for the right to keep her job and provide for her infant at the same time.

Infinitely more distressing, however, is the fact that a few weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected her petition to review her case’s dismissal. They essentially told her to “just go home,” as well. Even more ludicrous was their reasoning: Some men can lactate, too.

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