“Equinox Agrees to Pay $11.25 Million Settlement in Race and Gender Discrimination Lawsuit, Addressing Claims of Unfair Treatment”

Equinox, a New York-based fitness company, has agreed to pay an $11.25 million settlement in a race and gender discrimination lawsuit, effectively addressing allegations of unfair treatment. The lawsuit was filed by Röbynn Europe, a former personal training manager, who claimed that Equinox failed to address her complaints about offensive comments made by a fitness manager regarding the bodies of Black women, his use of offensive language towards employees, and his practice of diverting clients away from employees of color. The jury found Equinox liable for race and gender discrimination in early May, leading to the awarded settlement.

Europe, who worked at Equinox’s East 92nd Street location, stated that she experienced a hostile work environment and was ultimately terminated in September 2019 based on her race and gender. As part of the settlement, Europe will receive $1.25 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. Additionally, she will be awarded $16,000 in economic damages, representing back pay that had been agreed upon prior to the trial.

During the trial, Europe testified that Equinox repeatedly ignored her complaints regarding the racist and sexually inappropriate behavior of the fitness manager, who still remains employed by the company. Europe claimed that the manager frequently made vulgar comments about the bodies of Black women, harassed Equinox employees using offensive language, and diverted personal training clients away from employees of color.

Europe alleged that Equinox consistently failed to investigate her complaints and instead used the pretext of her being late to justify her termination. However, swipe-in data presented during the trial demonstrated that other Equinox managers had worse time and attendance records than Europe, yet they did not face any disciplinary action.

Europe further testified that Equinox’s failure to address the racist and sexist work environment resulted in an exacerbation of her bulimia symptoms—an eating disorder she had struggled with since high school—which required intensive treatment.

Susan Crumiller, one of Europe’s attorneys, expressed satisfaction with the jury’s decision, stating, “We are extremely pleased with the jury’s award today. This verdict sends a clear message to Equinox that corporations will face significant consequences for permitting racist and sexist behavior in the workplace. We are also gratified that the jury recognized the severe and lasting impact of Equinox’s racism on Röbynn’s mental health and acknowledged her entitlement to compensation. This should serve as a warning to all New York businesses that attempting to brush harassment and discrimination aside will not go unpunished.”