LA Fitness Sued For Discrimination By Feds: Authorities

IRVINE, CA — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing LA Fitness after the company discriminated against people with disabilities at its gyms, authorities announced Tuesday.

The Irvine-based fitness giant, which has nearly 700 locations nationwide and is the largest chain of owner-operated gyms and workout clubs in the country, is accused of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, authorities said. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Common barriers to access for those with disabilities at the gyms include broken pool lifts and elevators, which sometimes left people unable to enter clubs or pools, dangling over water, or forced to call for help or crawl out of pools, according to the department. Despite complaints, LA Fitness did not fix the issues for long periods, authorities said.

The lawsuit asks the court to require accessibility from the company and seeks monetary damages for those who faced discrimination, including people who were charged extra fees to have a friend, nurse or personal assistant help them use the facilities, according to the department.

Anyone who has had trouble accessing an LA Fitness gym or club because of a disability is asked to call 1-888-392-5417 or email claims.lafitness@usdoj.gov.