Posted on 07/17/2018 10:14:36 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
July 16, 2018, (LifeSiteNews) – Once again Planet Fitness has found itself at the center of a dispute which pits the wishes of men who ‘identify as women’ over the safety and privacy of women and girls.
Liberty Counsel has taken on the case of a Florida woman, ‘Mrs. H.,’who alleges that Planet Fitness discriminated against her after she objected to the presence of a man––Jordan ‘Ivy’ Rice––in the women’s locker room.
Mrs. H.’s membership was terminated because of her repeated vocal objections in the presence of other female gym patrons.
“This is not the only incident with Mr. Rice known to Planet Fitness,” according to a letter sent by Liberty Counsel to the CEO of Planet Fitness. “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.”
Liberty Counsel (LC) is a national litigation, education and public policy organization with an emphasis on civil liberties and the First Amendment.
“Planet Fitness must immediately reinstate Mrs. H’s membership, and make changes to its membership and locker room policies to prevent blatant sex-based harassment by males in the women’s lockers and restrooms,” the letter insists. It explains:
Mrs. H. is the survivor of an attempted rape, and as such, is keenly aware of and sensitive to men in places where they do not have a legitimate purpose, and where she and other women are in a position of vulnerability. On May 29, 2018, staff at the Leesburg location revoked Mrs. H.’s membership after she was intimidated and alarmed by Mr. Rice in the women’s locker room at this location, and complained about him.
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 and every single locker, Mrs. H.’s locker, which was directly behind him within three (3) feet.
When Mr. Rice refused to leave, Mrs. H. herself left to give him time to finish what he was doing, so she could use the restroom in privacy. Mr. Rice remained there for at least an hour, “applying makeup,” to intentionally deny Mrs. H. the privacy she desired. He was observed to have entered and exited the locker room, wearing the same clothes, and had not showered or changed. Despite a male employee observing that Mr. Rice’s behavior was “over the top,” staff did not intervene and ask him to finish his business, but permitted him to monopolize the women’s locker room. This impeded Mrs. H.’s rightful use of the women’s locker room.
A records request reveals that Mr. Rice (incredibly) had called the police to falsely report that he had been “sexually harassed” by Mrs. H. He can be heard on his 911 call, following Mrs. H. across the parking lot of the establishment, over into the next parking lot, calmly relaying to the dispatcher his and Mrs. H.’s appearances, a description of Mrs. H.’s vehicle, and the direction in which she was headed. The fact that he was and is a man was evident to the dispatcher, who repeatedly refers to him as “sir” on that call. No police report was filed.
Rice’s call to the police can be heard here.
“The Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on religion and biological ‘sex’ in places of public accommodation,” according to an LC report. “ The Act guarantees full and equal enjoyment of "the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations of any place of public accommodation" to all persons without discrimination.”
“Planet Fitness is endangering women by allowing men to sexually harass them in the women's facilities and punishing those who object,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “This is discrimination based on sex, in violation of Florida law as well as several of Planet Fitness' own policies.”
“Liberty Counsel demands that Planet Fitness reinstate our client's membership and adhere to the law and its own policies and protect the privacy of women,” continued Staver. “If this gym does not respect women's legal and privacy rights, there are other gyms which will, and there are courts that will remedy this blatant disregard of women.”
This isn’t the first time Planet Fitness has exposed its female members to danger in their gym’s locker rooms.
In 2015, a Michigan woman encountered a man who identified as a woman in a Planet Fitness locker room. Planet Fitness management told her the man had a right to use the women’s locker room because he identifies as ‘female.’
Troubled by the incident, she returned to the gym for several days, warning other female gym members about the possibility of encountering a man in their locker room.
When Planet Fitness terminated her membership, she filed a lawsuit claiming violation of the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act for breach of contract which was dismissed by a local judge, whose ruling was later upheld by the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Sounds like a serious lack of commitment.
“I don’t get it. Why doesn’t the chain just offer a small room to folks who would prefer not to share, for whatever reason.”
You don’t get it. They don’t want to be separated.
And further, demand not that you accomodate them, but that you must accept and celebrate this.
“I’d try it, but the wood would give me away.”
Sure it would.
Just kidding. Could not resist.
I’m trying to figure out why the left is resorting to gestapo tactics over this transgender $hit. Their actions are extreme, and way out of proportion. They are willing to suppress the rights of normal people to kiss the a$$es of a tiny minority of confused people.
My guess is that they are deathly afraid of the wrath of the LGBT crowd, a group that has shown that is does not respect the rights of non-members and has attacked normal people.
How to explain that you can now be put in JAIL or expelled from college for not using the “correct” pronouns?
These people are disgusting fascists.
Exactly!
Planet Filthness
That’s never good enough. They’ve tried that in school, but the transtesticles always complain that they are being singled out. (Unless you mean one for us “normals,” but why should we have to?)
I don’t get it. Why doesn’t the chain just offer a small room to folks who would prefer not to share, for whatever reason.
><><
Men, Women and Its.
this eventually will have to go to the supreme court. this is mental illness claiming to be female or male wen your genitalia says that you are not what you claim to be. The left trying to normalize the behavior has more to with not wanting value judgment on there own behavior....If you want to hear what they really feel about a t of issues play a game like” cards against humanity” because when given permission to make fun of Blacks, homosexuals they are Cruel in there comments if that group is not present.
Gotta admit a few times with a restroom that has a lock if the men’s room is occupied and the ladies room is empty and I’m short on time but strong in urge I’ll use it. I do leave it clean with the seat down— my penance. LOL.
That would be a good solution.
They want most of use dead, the rest in chains.
Until they get enough power to carry that out, they’ll settle for making us profoundly uncomfortable.
hey, i have made my husband “watch” the door and used the mens room when ladies take too long in the ladies room. but no one else is in there!
Good for this woman. We should all stand up against this tranny nonsense.
It’s the left’s war on women ... wait the left is tolerant and all-inclusive. Ha! Ha! Ha! /s
Good.
Women demanded men be open, tolerant and accepting of these people.
Now its womens’ turn to do so and live up to their morals they demanded men live up to.
Here’s one for you. At a gas station where there are only two restrooms with one toilet in each, the men’s room was locked and when asked the person behind the counter said it was occupied. Not a single lady in the store and 5 minutes go by. Then ten minutes go by, 5 men are lined up doing the pee-pee dance. Meanwhile, the woman’s restroom is wide open and not a single woman to be seen. 15 minutes go by, the guy in the men’s restroom still has said nothing after repeated gruff “Hurry ups”. Finally, one man says I am going to use the woman’s restroom. Goes into the woman’s restroom and is in and out after 3 minutes. Do we arrest this guy? By the way, a cop was in the line at the time the gentleman went into the men’s restroom.
There is no war on women.
If anything this problem exists because of women as a group demanding we accept and tolerate and affirm freaks of all kinds.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.