Pregnant and Assaulted by Owner of Christian Food Assistance Program

[Kittens]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: North Carolina

Hi, I'm not sure how anyone could help me get a better view of my situation before i go get a lawyer and take out an assault charge.
First of all im 16 weeks pregnant and walked into a local Christian program this morning to help get food assistance (since i cannot get food stamps until after the baby is born for some odd reason) I really had to use the restroom and walked into the door saying "ladies" when i walked out the owner of the place said very rudely that this was an "employees only bathroom" and asked if i was a client. The only thing I said was "I just walked in here to see if i can qualify for assistance here, im pregnant and really needed to use the bathroom im sorry-" she cut me off and said " We are not accepting any more clients this morning, you need to leave" and as she said that, she put her hand on my shoulder and pushed me out of the hallway leading to the restrooms. It was only 9:30am and they were open until 3pm. I didnt even get a chance to sit down and see if i was eligiable to receive food from this so-called Christian progam. She gave me an attitude because i used the restroom (even though it IS illegal to deny a pregnant women the right to use a restroom anywhere) and pushed me. I called the PD and had them file a police report. The woman of the Christian program put trespassing against me after the cops arrived and talked with her. I cannot take out a charge until the police report comes back and i get the womans name. I'm very upset that all of this happened because i simply needed to pee! Am i wrong for wanting to press charges against her?

[Mr. Knowitall]

What law is it that you imagine gives pregnant women the right to trespass any time they want to use a restroom? If by "had a trespassing against me" you mean you have been charged with trespassing, it's because no such law exists.

We weren't there. Whether or not charges are appropriate is now something that the police or a prosecutor will address.

[Kittens]

She put the trespassing against me AFTER i called the cops and AFTER she pushed me inside. Not before I went to use the rest room. If i had been trespassing just to use the restroom, that would be asking for it...and completely ignorant. I also would have gotten arrested which I didn't, what I'm saying is, after the altercation inside happened after pushing me and telling me to leave which i did, without saying a word and the cops went inside to talk to her is when she put the trespass agasint my fiance and I.

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And it is illegal to deny a pregnant women to use the bathroom in any public place whether the restrooms are public or not...

[Mr. Knowitall]

Because you say so? Seriously....

[Kittens]

You dont even live around here so you wouldnt know...mr know it all. apparently you dont know too much. All i know is in North Carolina if any public place denies a pregnant women to use the bathroom, chages can be pressed. a local bakery right down the road from my town houses was shut down because of this simple fact.

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and anyway i came on here to get advice not have someone on the other side of me tell me im wrong so actually either give people adivce or go on somewhere.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You said,

She gave me an attitude because i used the restroom (even though it IS illegal to deny a pregnant women the right to use a restroom anywhere) and pushed me.

Apparently even you know that claim is ridiculous and false.

You now say, while acting in the manner of a snotty, entitled brat,

All i knwo is in North Carolina if any public place denies a pregnant women to use the bathroom, chages can be pressed. a local bakery right down the road from my town houses was shut down because of this simple fact.

You walk back from your prior absurd and false claim that you can use a restroom "anywhere"; now it's "any public place". You then add a new layer of absurdity by purporting that criminal charges can result.

You say this law exists. So pray tell, where can we find it other than in your imagination? Sorry, but there is no law that forces a business to let you use its non-public bathroom, let alone a law that would criminalize the denial of access.

That said, I think it would be pretty obnoxious for an establishment to refuse a pregnant woman access to a restroom, assuming that there were a safe path available. Perhaps the problem is your behavior.

[Kittens]

Well assuming this was a public place obviously, i meant a public place. Since it was not obvious to you i re stated the fact that it most deffinatly illegal in North Carolina as it is to NOT even have a public restroom for customers/anyone etc to use. Unless this law is not active anymore, i know for a fact it IS illegal (again) to deny a pregnant women to use a restroom at any public place. And why would i lie? Like I SAID BEFORE a bakery in my town was SHUT DOWN because it did not have restrooms avaliable to the public, a women that was 36 weeks pregnant walked in asked to use the restroom, they said they did not have public restroom she said she was pregnant and asked again they denied her. She called the cops, took them to court and within 5 months the busniess was SHUT DOWN for denying public restroom use to a pregnant women. This was on the news as well as in newspapers so I would adivse you remember all laws are totally different for different states and even different counties/towns or cities in the state. Charges can deff be pressed against someone who refuses to let you use their restroom in public which is what i was saying in the first place, not at some random persons house... this is ridiculous. I came on here for advice not to argue with someone who doesnt even know what county/town i live in or the laws within it. I would not have even posted on this ****ing dumb website if someone who doesnt even live around here was going to try and tell me what the laws were in MY state and MY county. I do not care what the laws are in California obviously its different and you need to realize this simple fact.

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And none of this has to do with the simple fact that she pushed me. You dont know me or anything about me I'm not even giving you an attitude so I'd suggest you not give me one for something so stupid. I know what the law is in my county and it is illegal to deny anyone, especally a pregnant women public restroom use.

[cbg]

So prove your point. Post a link to the law that says it's illegal to refuse a pregnant woman use of a rest room.

[free9man]

You say this law exists. So pray tell, where can we find it other than in your imagination? Sorry, but there is no law that forces a business to let you use its non-public bathroom, let alone a law that would criminalize the denial of access.

I was curious because of OP's assertion so I did some looking. There are some states, although NC doesn't appear to be one of them, that have Restroom Access Laws which require some, or all, businesses to allow access to their restrooms for an occupant of the building. None appears to be criminal in nature and I didn't dig to see if there are exceptions for private/employee restrooms.

[LawResearcherMissy]

All i know is in North Carolina if any public place denies a pregnant women to use the bathroom, chages can be pressed.

Citation needed.

Sweetheart, you're full of crap. You're talking out of your sweet wazoo. NO ONE is legally obligated to allow you to use the restroom. In fact, most city and county health ordinances FORBID businesses from allowing non-employees to use the employee restroom in the absence of a public facility, when they aren't silent on the matter altogether.

Pregnant women? Not all that special.

And none of this has to do with the simple fact that she pushed me.

You file a police report.

Expect to be asked what you expected to happen when you refused to leave after being told to do so. Just because the center was open until three didn't mean that they had appointments still available. When someone tells you to leave, you GTFO.

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There are some states, although NC doesn't appear to be one of them, that have Restroom Access Laws which require some, or all, businesses to allow access to their restrooms for an occupant of the building. None appears to be criminal in nature and I didn't dig to see if there are exceptions for private/employee restrooms.

Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Connecticut, yes, have laws mandating access to employee restrooms in the absence of public facilities. The laws are narrowly written to accommodate ONLY people with debilitating medical conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and other inflammatory bowel disorders, and they require a medical certification card issued by the state. You MUST present the card when asking for access.

Pregnancy is not considered a debilitating medical condition in any of those states, and is not on the list of acceptable reasons to apply for certification.

Additionally, the law does not apply to places of public accommodation where fewer than three employees are on duty (in some states it's fewer than 4), nor to gas stations, nor to establishments where allowing a customer access to the restroom would endanger the customer or the employees.

Fines for violating these laws run between $20 and $40. No criminal charges. And no special treatment just because you're knocked up.