A transgender man is taking legal action against 24 Hour Fitness, claiming discrimination after being instructed to wear a shirt in the sauna while other individuals were not required to cover up.
Kyleb Harper, who identifies as a transgender African-American man, filed a lawsuit in California state court last month. In it, he alleges that employees at the gym repeatedly misidentified him by using “ma’am” and ridiculed him, despite being informed of his preferred pronouns, “he/him.”
Harper, a member at the Bellflower, California location, stated in his lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on December 18 that he expressed his concerns to management regarding the staff’s behavior.
One employee, mentioned in court documents as “Kenny,” reportedly confronted Mr. Harper about wearing a shirt in the co-ed sauna, even while other patrons identifying as male were not held to the same standard.
Previously, Harper utilized the 24 Hour Fitness location at the World Trade Center in Long Beach, which featured gender-neutral bathrooms, according to the complaint.
Initially, access to men’s and women’s restrooms required keys, but later the gym limited access to staff only, as the complaint states.
After losing access, he began using the men’s restroom at the gym.
In 2022, another gym member noticed Harper’s chest scars and followed him out of the bathroom, making him feel harassed due to his transgender identity, according to the complaint.
Harper claims he reported this incident to management and requested access to gender-neutral restrooms, but he asserts there was no effort made to accommodate him.
Harper began attending the Bellflower location in 2023.
In his complaint, he alleges that he reported concerns about Kenny’s behavior to other employees, yet no investigations were conducted and those complaints were not passed on to management.
Harper is pursuing this lawsuit under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The complaint states that these repeated discriminatory actions and the failure to address them have prevented Harper from fully enjoying his rights and benefits as a member of 24 Hour Fitness.
As a result, Harper claims to have faced “mental and emotional distress, humiliation, mental and physical pain and suffering,” along with “loss of past and future earnings and employment benefits, career damage, and loss of wages.”
They are seeking damages exceeding $35,000.
Inquiries have been made to both Harper and 24 Hour Fitness for comments regarding the situation.
