What we know:
L.A. Fitness has fired a manager and two employees at a New Jersey gym where two black men were kicked out Monday night in an incident captured on video and shared on social media, according to a salesman there.
- The incident went viral on Facebook after Tshyrad Oates posted four videos saying the club manager called Secaucus police while he and another man were working out. Oates was using a four-day guest pass and his friend is a member at the gym.
- Even though both men properly checked in when they arrived, Oates said an employee interrupted them to again ask for their membership credentials.
- An employee who answered the phone at L.A. Fitness in Secaucus told NJ Advance Media the manager who appeared in the video recorded by one of the men has been “removed from the company.”
- L.A. Fitness said it has apologized to the customer and made it clear that his membership is still valid.
- Two women who were working that evening and badgered the men are no longer employees.
- L.A. Fitness says “Regrettably, our staff unnecessarily escalated the situation and called the police rather than work through it, ” the statement said. “Clearly, this is a long time member with a current, valid membership. We want to clarify that no membership was cancelled and no one, including the member’s guest, was banned from the club. We have spoken to the member to apologize and assured him that he and his guests are welcome in our clubs at all times.”
