Breast milk sprayer put on probation, video of incident released

Fines, community service part of punishment for woman who sprayed cop

By Allison Manning
The Columbus Dispatch

DELAWARE, Ohio — After generating a flurry of media attention and being fired from her teaching job, the woman who drunkenly sprayed her breast milk at deputy sheriffs will spend two years on probation after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors.

Stephanie Robinette, 30, appeared in Delaware Municipal Court yesterday and was sentenced by Judge David Gormley for assault and obstruction of official business. She will also have to pay $200 in fines and serve 40 hours of community service.

She pleaded guilty last month. Three other misdemeanor charges were dismissed.

The incident began with a domestic dispute between Robinette and her husband, Craig, on June 25 at the Bridgewater Banquet and Conference Center on Sawmill Parkway in Delaware County.

That night, after fighting with her husband, Robinette locked herself in the car. When deputies arrived, she began yelling profanities and refused to get out. She then told them she is a breastfeeding mother, removed her right breast from her dress and began spraying deputies and the car with her breast milk.

Robinette was fired from her teaching job at Summit Academy on Columbus' East Side less than a week later. In the report sent to state officials for review of her license, school officials cited the media attention and included reports published online from as far away as India and Canada.

"If there is a form of punishment associated with public shaming, I think Stephanie's case would qualify," said her attorney, Brad Koffel.

Koffel added that Robinette has been sober -- also part of her probation -- and that she and her husband have filed for divorce. The Robinettes have a 9-month-old child.

Robinette's husband appeared in court and asked the judge to continue the no-contact order that had been in place, but made no further comment. Gormley did not extend it.

Stephanie Robinette declined to speak on her behalf.

In addition to the probation, community service and fines, Gormley ordered Robinette to attend anger-management classes and abstain from alcohol.

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"I feel teachers are in a position of public trust and I really think you seriously violated that public trust in the way you behaved on June 25," Gormley told her. "Foul language and, obviously, the behavior that has become so infamous. Shameful."

Copyright 2011 The Columbus Dispatch