A woman has been banned from Planet Fitness gyms for objecting to sharing the ladies’ changing room with a man who says he identifies as a woman.
The woman from Florida, known only as Mrs H, had her membership terminated for repeatedly objecting to the presence of Jordan Rice in the changing room.
Mrs H says she has been discriminated against, and is being represented by Liberty Counsel.
Watching
A letter sent by Liberty Counsel to Planet Fitness explained that Mrs H is the survivor of attempted rape, and as such was intimidated and alarmed by Rice’s presence in the women’s changing area.
It said: “Mrs H entered, and noticed him. She was disturbed by his presence, politely confronted him and asked him to leave the women’s locker room.
“Instead, he smirked back at her, and continued to stare at her, remaining standing in front of the mirror ‘applying makeup’, where he had a full view of every single woman entering or exiting the shower area”.
Harassment
When Rice refused to leave, Mrs H left the changing rooms to wait for him to finish, but he remained for at least an hour.
Liberty Counsel’s letter also detailed other incidents involving Rice.
It said: “Another woman reported that he exposed his naked body to her in the women’s locker room at this location. In another instance, he was involved in an argument with another woman over use of the tanning room.
“Misogynist, anti-woman harassment should have no place in Planet Fitness locations, and violates Florida law.”
‘Endangering women’
Chairman of Liberty Counsel Mat Staver said: “Planet Fitness is endangering women by allowing men to sexually harass them in the women’s facilities and punishing those who object.”
The case is almost identical to that of a woman who found a man who said he was a woman using the changing rooms in another Planet Fitness gym in 2015.
She objected but the management told her that because he identified as female, it was his right to use those facilities.
After warning other gym users that a man might be using the women’s changing rooms, her membership was terminated.