[CCCNFBW] Vancouver gym settles over allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act

[Merribeth Greenberg]

Reading this article reminded me of a philosophy discussion about the
accessibility of pools at fitness centers that we had at the CCC meeting.

Vancouver gym settles over allegations it violated the Americans with
Disabilities Act
24 Hour Fitness to pay complainant $2,000 over closed shower facilities
By Sarah Wolf, Columbian staff reporter
Published: December 16, 2025, 5:50pm

The federal government and a Vancouver fitness center resolved allegations
this week that the fitness center had violated the Americans with
Disabilities Act.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle announced the settlement with
California-based 24 Hour Fitness in a Tuesday news release.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 federal law, requires
accessibility and accommodations for people with physical or mental
disabilities.

A member of the gym at 800 S.E. Tech Center Drive in east Vancouver
complained that the accessible shower in the women’s locker room was
unavailable for months.

A U.S. Attorney’s Office investigation then confirmed ongoing repairs and
maintenance kept the shower unusable for several months, according to the
news release.

Although the company didn’t agree that it violated ADA laws, it plans to
make new draft policies about ADA compliance at all of its locations and
submit them to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for review, according to the news
release.

24 Hour Fitness, which operates gyms in nine states, will require surveys
of all of its gyms every six months to check for compliance with ADA laws.
The company will also establish a protocol to conduct daily observations of
accessible features to ensure usability and address maintenance and repair
issues, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The company will also post its ADA compliance commitment at all Washington
locations and keep a complaint process for every facility for concerns or
allegations of disability discrimination.

If the U.S. Attorney’s Office receives additional complaints, it will
provide them to 24 Hour Fitness to be responded to within five business
days.

The fitness centers will also train employees on ADA compliance and keep
repair records related to ADA laws.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 24 Hour Fitness will report on compliance
about Washington facilities to the office every year for two years.

The fitness company will pay the complainant $2,000 over the unusable
showers and pay the U.S. Attorney’s Office $10,000 unless 24 Hour Fitness
successfully meets all of the settlement requirements over two years. Then,
the attorney’s office will suspend the payment.

A representative for 24 Hour Fitness didn’t immediately respond to a
request for comment on the matter.

Vancouver gym settles over allegations it violated the Americans with
Disabilities Act - The Columbian
<https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/dec/16/vancouver-gym-settles-over-allegations-it-violated-the-americans-with-disabilities-act/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Morning+Briefing>
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