A New Hampshire gym member's complaint about locker room safety has escalated into a dispute that raises questions about inclusion, accountability and how companies handle competing concerns.
Judy Walcott, a longtime Planet Fitness member in Concord, said she felt threatened after encountering someone she believed to be male in the women's locker room on April 11. When she reported the incident to staff, she said a young employee dismissed her concerns and cited company policy. Days later, when she raised the issue with another staff member, Walcott said she was labeled "transphobic" rather than having her safety concerns addressed.
Shortly after that conversation, the manager called to inform Walcott that her membership had been canceled for a "policy violation" — despite her insistence that she had only asked about a policy. Walcott discovered what she says is an unauthorized cancellation form bearing her forged signature, submitted on April 15. The gym continued charging her for an additional month.
When Walcott returned to use the remainder of what she'd paid for, the manager refused her entry and called police. She was formally trespassed from the property.
Planet Fitness's stated policy allows members to use facilities "based on their self-reported gender identity," according to the company's goal of creating an "inclusive gym environment." The company has not commented on Walcott's allegations despite multiple media requests.
Walcott has filed a consumer complaint with New Hampshire's Attorney General. The case raises questions about how organizations balance inclusion with addressing customer safety concerns and whether dismissing complaints without investigation constitutes a customer service failure.
