2nd Planet Fitness accused of letting men into female locker

A second Planet Fitness health club has been accused of giving a man unrestricted access to the women's locker room, where he allegedly harassed women.

Liberty Counsel said the Leesburg, Florida, Planet Fitness allegedly "violated Florida law and its own policy by allowing a man to sexually harass females in the women's locker room."

WND has reported a similar incident at a Planet Fitness in Michigan where a woman, Yvette Cormier, alleges the company created a "judgment-free zone" where men can access the women's facilities. When she encountered a man there and warned other women, the club terminated her membership. The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered a lower court to address Cormier's Michigan Consumer Protection Act violation allegations.

In the Florida case, Liberty Counsel has written Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau demanding that his company reinstate a woman, identified as "Mrs. H," whose membership was terminated because she complained about a naked man in the women's changing room.

Liberty Counsel pointed out it was not the only complaint against the man, Jordan Rice. Another woman claimed "he exposed his naked body to her in the woman's locker room at this location." In another instance, he argued with a woman over use of the tanning room.

When Mrs. H. encountered Rice in the locker room and asked him to leave, 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."

Rice later transferred his membership to another location, Liberty Counsel said, but Mrs. H was deprived of her right to use the facilities and was sent a cancellation notice.

WND called Planet Fitness headquarters for comment Friday afternoon, but the telephone rang unanswered.

Liberty Counsel said Rice, "incredibly," called 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."

No police report was filed.

Liberty Counsel said Planet Fitness "is committing consumer fraud by failing to disclose, and failing to render in writing, policies permitting access of opposite-sex individuals to places where women have a reasonable expectation of privacy."

And its actions violated several Florida laws, including the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992, the letter said.

Liberty Counsel is demanding Planet Fitness restore the woman's membership, revise its policies to restrict access to the women's lockers or add a notice to its contracts and its locker room doors declaring "there is no expectation of sex-based privacy within Planet Fitness."