ELLISVILLE, Mo. – The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into a reported incident of gym goer’s locker room usage at the Life Time Fitness gym in Ellisville.
The Missouri Attorney General announced the investigation Friday morning after receiving multiple notifications about an incident involving the women’s locker room of the gym. The investigation appears to be connected with the gender identity of a gym goer.
A spokesperson for Life Time Fitness tells FOX 2 that the gym goer is a member and has presented an state-issued drivers’ license identifying as a woman.
“We cannot deny or discriminate on the basis of sex. Therefore, the member is to use Life Time’s women’s locker room,” said Life Time Fitness partially in a statement to FOX 2.
In a notice of the investigation, Bailey contends that the gym goer was born a male. He argues the investigation is a matter of public safety and legal compliance.
“As Attorney General, I will vigorously defend and enforce Missouri’s laws,” said Bailey partially in his announcement of the investigation. “You face both potential criminal and civil liabilities, and you can expect to receive civil investigative demands from my office in short order. If you insist on endangering women and young girls in our state, in open defiance of the law, be assured you will face the consequences.
Bailey cited Missouri statute 569.140 while announcing the investigation, arguing the presence of a male in a female public restroom constitutes criminal trespass.
Following Bailey’s announcement of the investigation, crowds have gathered outside the gym, some with signs demonstrating their thoughts on the situation.
Life Time Fitness addressed the investigation with this statement, in full:
“At Life Time, we recognize that there are varying opinions regarding locker room access. As a company, we are committed to following the law in every area we operate with respect to public accommodation. When members join Life Time, we review state-issued IDs to confirm their identity. The State of Missouri provides a mechanism for an individual to change their gender designation on their state-issued drivers’ license. In this instance, the member presented a state-issued drivers’ license identifying as female and, based on Missouri laws, we cannot deny or discriminate on the basis of sex. Therefore, the member is to use Life Time’s women’s locker room.
Life Time is committed to providing safe, welcoming and respectful environments. To the extent we receive reports of conduct inconsistent with our club policies, we review and address them. We encourage members who believe they’ve experienced a policy violation to inform a member of our club management team and, as appropriate, contact local authorities. The safety and security of our members and guests is paramount.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
