The Las Cruces firefighter whose wife was pictured breastfeeding their infant son while wearing his uniform, and the union that represents city firefighters, defended the Las Cruces Fire Department on Wednesday, saying the agency is not against breastfeeding.
The support for LCFD came a day after the controversy surrounding the photo made national news.
Last week, the firefighter, Mike Lopez, was said to be under investigation for an undisclosed personnel matter related to the photo, which surfaced on social media last month. On Wednesday, the union acknowledged that Lopez had been disciplined. “Mr. Lopez is not facing termination or suspension and his discipline is currently in the grievance process,” the union — Las Cruces Professional Fire Fighters Association — stated in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.
The union did not address the specifics of Lopez’s discipline, but it stated in the release, “We want to be clear that the content of the photo is not the reason for the disciplinary action.”
The union further suggested that the investigation was “related to a policy regarding the use of the Las Cruces Fire Department brand.”