It’s not all about you! Are you trying to kill my father?
I had only been living in New Orleans for about 7 months when COVID-19 mandatory lockdowns began. I was working as a waitress—22, college graduate, a little over $1000 in savings. I hadn’t been in the workforce long enough to even qualify for unemployment but that didn’t change the fact that rent would still be due in the coming months. My whole life had flipped. I could no longer do most of the things I enjoyed. Getting drinks with my friends or even seeing them within the comforts of my home was no longer an option. All three of my roommates were scared, too, so they sought solace in retreating to their childhood homes. I tried working out at home to keep me busy, but it just wasn’t the same as trying to use a chair in place of a bench and bands in place of weights.
On May 29, 2020, I was relieved to find that Mayor Cantrell transitioned us into Phase I, opening restaurants, retail, and even gyms under certain capacity restrictions and other criteria. One of my biggest concerns was the possibility of having to workout with a face mask on being that I have a chest deformity (pectus excavatum) that has reduced my lung capacity for oxygen intake to 80% functionality. The mandate at the time had the following specific guidelines: “Facial coverings are not required while engaging in physical fitness activity, but should be worn at all other times.” I was so excited!
When I arrived at my gym at the time (Anytime Fitness on Freret St), I noticed that there was a sign stating that we must wear masks at all times due to state mandate, which I knew to be untrue per the mandate. I worked out there for at least a week with no mask and no issues. On one occasion, I was doing floor work in my own little section, obeying the 6 feet rule, when one of the gym’s personal trainers approached me with his mask below his nose. “You need to put your mask on. It’s required.” I told him that I had a physical condition that prevented me from working out with a face covering, to which he responded, “You’ll have to bring a doctor’s note to the manager.” I was appalled that he would approach me of all the people in the gym. Sure, I didn’t have on a mask, but out of the other 8 people working out at that time, half had their masks pulled below their nose. I felt targeted for a multitude of reasons, one being that I was a young female and most of the people having their mask pulled below their noses were male.
The following day, the manager of Anytime Fitness called me inquiring about the incident. She claimed that it was the state mandate to wear a mask while working out, that I was in violation of that mandate, and that I would get their license taken from them. I calmly quoted her the mandate word for word, to which she cut me off and said, “It’s not all about you! Are you trying to kill my father?” Her father was the owner of the gym, who had seen me several times on the premises without a mask. I told her that it was nothing personal, that I was just obeying what the mandate said and that regardless, she would have to be accommodating of my physical debilitation. Never have I ever had a “professional” be so nasty to me. She responded with a scoff, “What even is your physical debilitation anyway? I have seen you here before, and there is nothing wrong with you.” By that, she meant the time she made me leave the gym for wearing a crop top, our only interaction, and again, another reason I felt this was a targeted interaction. I told her that she could not legally ask me under my ADA rights what my physical debilitation was. She had no clue what ADA rights were and was baffled when I refused to answer her question as she kept pressing me for what was “wrong with me.” All of this concluded in me having a meeting with the gym owner (both of us maskless in his office), who told me that I could not work out there without a mask because of the state mandate. I showed him a printed copy of the mandate, stating that I did not have to. Nothing would change his mind, presumably because the manager whom I had had several negative encounters with was his daughter.
Though I liked the gym itself, I had to unfortunately leave it. I left a review remarking my disdain on their Facebook page; the manager proceeded to once again try to insight an argument (her comments can be found in this link https://www.facebook.com/anytimefitnessfreret/reviews). I found not one but two gyms within the same two miles radius that BOTH actually followed the state guidelines: masks not required as long as you are actively working out 6 feet away from other members. I chose not to pursue matters with Anytime Fitness legally due to my personal finances from being unemployed, but I could not be happier supporting my new gym and their inclusivity!
— Keaton Dooley
