Do Planet Fitness Members Agree With Its Judgement-Free Policy?

Go to article

Posted March 30, 2015 2:35 pm by

Do Planet Fitness Members Agree With Its Judgement-Free Policy?

 

 

Do Planet Fitness Members Agree With An Ex-Member’s Lawsuit Against Its Judgement-Free Policy?According to Clubindustry.com, an ex-member of a Planet Fitness gym in Michigan is suing the company in reaction to its policy against discrimination towards transgender people.

On Monday, March 23, Yvette Cormier filed a 15-page summons and complaint against the Planet Fitness franchisee in Midland, MI and the corporate Planet Fitness in Newington, NH. The complaint states that while in the women’s locker room on Feb. 28, Cormier “came into contact with a large, tall man who was also inside the open common area of the women’s locker room.”

The complaint further states upon seeing the man “Mrs. Cormier was surprised, stunned and shocked and did not feel comfortable changing her clothes of showering with a man present and watching.”

After complaining to the front desk employee, she was told that it was the company’s policy that whatever sex an individual sincerely self-identifies with allows the person to have full access to the corresponding facilities, according to the complaint. The Planet Fitness corporate office told her the same thing when she tried complaining to her gym’s higher-ups.

The gym canceled Cormier’s membership for “inappropriate and disruptive” behavior. Over the course of two days, Cormier told female members of the gym that transgender people are allowed to use the locker room of their choice at Planet Fitness, even if those female members didn’t want a stranger to bother them with her political agenda during their workout.

Cormier is suing the national fitness chain for damages in excess of $25,000 for the following counts:

As has been reported by ThinkProgress and other outlets, the law firm representing Cormier has opposed anti-discrimination legislation in the past, and once compared tolerating transgender people to tolerating “serial killer rapists” in a memo.

The public relations director for Planet Fitness, McCall Gosselin, stated that the company does not comment on pending litigation but that Planet Fitness ”is committed to creating a non-intimidating, welcoming environment for its members, and that its gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity,” according to Clubindustry.com.

 

< Health Club News home