1 /5 Morgane: We’ve been members since 2020. Over that time we’ve used their facilities and been the subject of unfair treatment on multiple occasions. Most recently we were informed about a rule that children under 14 had to be with an adult in weight room. This was not posted anywhere at the time and since we’ve gone here our children’s friends and teammates have always used the weight room freely. So we were unaware the rule existed. When the employee informed our older son, we immediately came to supervise our 13 year old, who normally works out with his dad, but had also worked out solo on occasions prior to this. While supervising him, I noticed his schoolmate, also 13, using the weights without a parent present. I confronted the worker and had my son record it for evidence. I told her to that she wasn’t enforcing the rule the same and it was not surprising that the child who was allowed to workout freely was white and my child was black. I let the lady know that I did feel like her rule enforcement was racially motivated, since I had another unpleasant experience with her the year before with my daughter during tennis lessons.
Immediately after I left, my child’s schoolmate sent him a text that the woman had called her manager to share the situation.
The next day I received and email from Corey Randall saying he’d look into the situation. The email was long and the majority of it dealt with the fact that I was creating a hostile and unsafe workplace for his employee by having my son record our conversation, where I caught her lying. He claimed he’d look into it though.
The next day he emailed another long email stating how responsible my son was and that he’d consider changing the rule maybe in the future. He also admitted that during video footage the rule was not being enforced the same, he never apologized though.
I responded back, answering his questions and ultimately told him that our family wanted to simply be treated like everyone else.
His latest email he told me that he had continued to watch my 13 year old son and commented on his squat technique. I found it repulsive that the ceo used an opportunity where his employees were clearly not enforcing rules fairly to invade upon my sons privacy and spend hours watching him. My son did nothing wrong, when he was asked to not use weights he immediately stopped and Mr. Randall even commented on his responsible behavior, yet continued to watch footage of him in order to comment on his technique.
He also invited us to get our money and leave the club, since we weren’t happy about being made to follow a rule that others clearly weren’t also following. Instead of apologizing and offering a month on them, he told us they are not a childcare center and recommend we have our son see their trainer.
I did not ask for any of this. When the rule nobody else seems to follow was brought to my attention I followed it. But the condescending emails and invasion of privacy on my son that took place afterwards is disgusting.
He did say they’d hang signs up with rules in the area ( which should have been done), but other than that nothing else was done. He apologized only after I pointed out he hadn’t and then followed it up with further accusations.
Our sons need somewhere to play basketball when not practicing with a team, but after they are of age we will gladly be taking our business elsewhere.
There’s a lot more that I can’t include because it’s already long, but simply put this business doesn’t value their black customers. We have spoken to other black gym members who have felt the same way when dealing with certain workers & my dealings with the ceo just show that this sentiment is coming from and supported by the top up. They don’t even want us at their club, so they do what they can do to make it hard and then invite us to leave. I have emails supporting all of this.
So if you aren’t in need of basketball courts, go elsewhere!! If you need basketball courts and can pay the MAC price, go there! Our son goes with a friend and they’ve never had a problem.
