Black men being racially profiled at LA Fitness in Secaucus, NJ
Nationwide — Three employees at a Secaucus, New Jersey-based LA Fitness gym have reportedly been fired for racially profiling against at least two of their Black customers. In several Facebook videos that were uploaded and went viral, two black men can be seen being asked to leave the gym after an employee apparently called police.
Tshyrad Oates, who posted the videos on his account, said he was visiting on a four-day guest pass. His friend, however, had been a longtime member at the gym.
He wrote on his Facebook page, “After about a half hour I was approached by this same employee telling me that I had to leave or pay and I explained to her that I just signed in with her with the guest pass.”
He added, “She stated that it was my friend who did not pay (unaware that her manager had already signed him in with his membership pass). My friend stated to her that he is an active and current member and that his gym tag was in his locker. He felt racially profiled and embarrassed by the harassment of this LA Fitness employee in front of other members at the gym.”
Oates continues, “We explained to them about our guest pass and rescanned my friend’s member tag and it resulted in current active statues. (The LA Fitness employee did look at the computer screen that showed current member status and said nothing). We again started our workout and 10 mins later an LA Fitness manager told us to leave. We stated that we did not do anything wrong and have active current memberships. 2 mins later, 5 police men show up asking us to leave.”
He then says that the manager terminated their gym memberships, but LA Fitness has since released a statement saying their membership had not been terminated.
The three employees involved, however, have reportedly been fired.
Watch the videos below: