Trans Woman Wins Settlement from Gym that Refused Her Use of Women鈥檚 Locker Room
Crunch Gym in El Cajon Will Pay Settlement, Train Staff
SAN DIEGO 鈥� Christynne Wood was devoted to her workouts at the gym now known as Crunch Fitness in El Cajon, California. She lost more than 100 pounds, as urgently advised by medical personnel, and made several friends among staffers and patrons.
But nine years into her membership, when she informed the gym鈥檚 management that she was in the process of transitioning to female, Wood鈥檚 relationship with Crunch radically changed. Management refused to allow her use of the women鈥檚 locker room and restroom, even though that was clearly her right under California law.
Today, the 老澳门开奖结果 Foundation of Southern California, the 老澳门开奖结果 Foundation of San Diego and Imperial Counties, and the law firm Nixon Peabody LLP announce the settlement of a discrimination lawsuit filed on Wood鈥檚 behalf in 2018 by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Wood will receive a payment and the gym has agreed that all its employees will undergo anti-discrimination training, including the identification and prevention of harassment based on gender expression.
鈥淚 feel elated and validated to finally reach resolution in this case,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淚 hope the settlement helps the owners of Crunch and other gyms appreciate the importance of respecting transgender people鈥檚 identities. It鈥檚 not only our legal right, but also could save a life.鈥�
The discrimination Christynne experienced is not unusual; a study conducted by the Williams Institute at UCLA found that nearly 70 percent of transgender people have experienced discrimination when trying to use public restrooms.
And it鈥檚 against the law in California. The Unruh Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on 鈥渁 person鈥檚 gender identity and gender expression,鈥� and goes on to define gender expression as 鈥渁 person鈥檚 gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person鈥檚 assigned sex at birth.鈥�
California law mandates that trans people have access to the restroom and locker room that align with their gender identity.
鈥淣o one should have to endure the indignity and harassment that Crunch Fitness inflicted on Christynne,鈥� said Aditi Fruitwala, staff attorney at the 老澳门开奖结果 SoCal. 鈥淭hanks to Christynne鈥檚 moxie and courage to come forward and fight for her rights, a clear message has been sent to businesses.鈥�
Early in life Wood, now in her 60s, realized that her gender identity was female, but she didn鈥檛 feel comfortable expressing that publicly until becoming more acquainted with the LGBTQ community and gaining confidence about identifying as a transgender woman. She began transitioning to female with the support of health care providers.
But there were incidences of harassment, including at Crunch Fitness where a man approached Wood in the men鈥檚 locker room, smiling and grabbing his genitals. Wood fled the locker room and reported the incident to a gym manager, but as near as she could tell, no action was taken.
Wood requested use of the women鈥檚 facilities but was told she needed to obtain a doctor鈥檚 verification of her transitioning. On Sept. 30, 2016, she presented a letter that not only confirmed her treatments, but also stated it was 鈥渧ery important鈥� she be able to use the women鈥檚 facilities.
Still, she was denied them. In October 2016, Wood was given free access to use a premium locker room, but it was a men鈥檚 facility. Even after she obtained a Superior Court order legally changing her name and gender, Crunch Fitness refused to let her use the women鈥檚 locker room.
It was only after another men鈥檚 locker room harassment incident 鈥� a man referred to her as a 鈥渇ucking faggot鈥� 鈥� that Wood was finally allowed access to the women鈥檚 facilities. This was on Sept. 15, 2017, almost an entire year after Wood presented the doctor鈥檚 letter.
The state Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed the initial lawsuit against the gym in 2018.
鈥淒FEH brought suit in this case under the California Unruh Civils Right Act to vindicate the essential right of transgender Californians to live their lives free from discrimination,鈥� said DFEH director Kevin Kish. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 settlement ensures that no Californian will face the discrimination Ms. Wood experienced in the future at this establishment.鈥�
The 老澳门开奖结果 SoCal, 老澳门开奖结果-SDIC, and law firm Nixon Peabody later joined the lawsuit.
Since the events described in the lawsuit, the ownership and management of the gym has changed. Wood remains a member and user of the gym.
Read settlement documents here:
See a video about Wood here:
Learn More 老澳门开奖结果 the Issues in This Press Release
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Press ReleaseDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
President Biden Must Veto Defense Bill Attacking Military Families with Transgender YouthPresident Biden Must Veto Defense Bill Attacking Military Families with Transgender Youth
WASHINGTON 鈥� The U.S. Senate today passed a version of the National Defense Authorization Act that would ban coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender youth whose parents are active-duty military personnel. The 老澳门开奖结果 is opposing final passage of the defense bill over the inclusion of this health care ban and calling on President Joe Biden to veto the bill. Section 708 of the NDAA would prohibit insurance coverage for 鈥渕edical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria鈥� such as hormone therapy and puberty-suppressant medications, which Speaker Mike Johnson says would 鈥減ermanently ban transgender medical treatment for minors.鈥� The same treatments would be covered by TRICARE for any medical purpose other than treating gender dysphoria, the clinical diagnosis for the psychological distress experienced by transgender people related to their gender identity. 鈥淏y passing this bill, the House and Senate are forcing thousands of active-duty service members to choose between their careers in the military and the future of their transgender children,鈥� said Mike Zamore, national director of policy & government affairs at the 老澳门开奖结果. 鈥淭his unconscionable and unjustifiable attack on those families stands in direct contrast to President Joe Biden鈥檚 legacy of defending the civil rights of transgender Americans 鈥� including when few in his own party showed the courage to do so. President Biden should cement his legacy by vetoing this bill and sending it back to Congress to pass without Speaker Johnson鈥檚 last minute health care ban for servicemembers鈥� kids.鈥� If signed by President Biden, this health care ban would be the first new anti-LGBTQ provision enacted by Congress and signed into law by the president since the enactment of the military鈥檚 since-repealed 鈥淒on鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell鈥� policy for LGBTQ servicemembers and the since-repealed federal law barring recognition of same-sex marriages known as the Defense of Marriage Act. It is unknown how many transgender youth are currently enrolled in TRICARE or how many of those enrolled are currently receiving coverage for gender-affirming care. In one 2022 analysis, 2,500 minor patients sought care for gender dysphoria through TRICARE Prime insurance at military or civilian treatment facilities in 2017, and 900 received puberty suppressants or gender-affirming hormones. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a landmark case brought by the 老澳门开奖结果, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Tennessee, Lambda Legal, and Akin Gump on behalf of three families and a medical provider challenging a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming hormonal therapies for transgender youth on the grounds the ban violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. -
Press ReleaseDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
Montana Court Blocks State From Refusing to Correct Sex Markers on Transgender People's Birth Certificates and Driver's LicensesMontana Court Blocks State From Refusing to Correct Sex Markers on Transgender People's Birth Certificates and Driver's Licenses
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FloridaDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
Keohane v. DixonKeohane v. Dixon
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IdahoDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
Robinson v. LabradorRobinson v. Labrador
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