What the court flagged about CNN's HR process is a masterclass in what not to do

A federal court has ruled that CNN's firing of a breastfeeding employee who sought lactation accommodations will go to trial.

The decision, made public on February 23, 2026, by Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is a pointed reminder for HR teams of what can go wrong when accommodation requests collide with return-to-office mandates – and when the people handling complaints are also the ones making termination decisions.

Amelia J. Harris worked for CNN America and Warner Brothers Discovery for more than seven years, most recently as a Senior Business Coordinator. She gave birth in June 2020, and around the time she returned from leave that November, she learned she had high lipase – a genetic condition that causes the fats in breast milk to break down rapidly. To safely store her milk, she needed to pump, then scald and cool it within about an hour – a process requiring time, heat, and a private space. When her employer began requiring workers back in the office in 2022, Harris asked to continue working remotely and requested adequate breaks and equipment to manage her condition at the office.

What followed reads like a workplace compliance cautionary tale.

Harris says she was told during an HR meeting that if she could not return to the office, the company would treat her as having voluntarily resigned. Later that same day, an HR representative...

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