'If you insist on endangering women and young girls in our state, in open defiance of the law, be assured you will face the consequences'
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A St. Louis branch of Life Time Fitness could be facing civil and criminal liabilities after it allegedly "adopted a policy" allowing transgender women into the female locker rooms, the state's attorney general announced Friday.
Missouri AG Andrew Bailey told the CEO of Life Time Fitness in a letter that while allowing biological males to enter whatever restroom they choose is popular in corporate policy books, he would not tolerate it under his jurisdiction.
"While it might be considered fashionable in certain corporate boardrooms to pretend that biology is irrelevant, the American heartland still lives in reality," he said. "Missourians recognize that allowing adult men to openly invade and disrobe in spaces set aside for women and young girls is indefensible and places political correctness above public safety."
The investigation followed an incident where a 52-year-old transgender woman entered the women's locker room, to the outrage of some of Life Time's customers. Some of the staff corrected customers, instructing them to use certain language when discussing the trans person.
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Life Time Fitness gym in hot water amid Missouri General AG probe. (Fox News Digital )
"Even more concerning is the fact that instead of taking the safety concerns from your gym members seriously, you rudely correct them and insist they call this biological male by the ‘correct pronouns,'" Bailey alleged.
He then said he was looking into criminal charges against them under various statutes after numerous constituents complained to his office, alleging "the gym has actively allowed a biological male to use women and girls’ private spaces."
The Missouri AG cited a statute of "Trespass in the first degree," arguing that he had previously established a precedent that a biological male entering a female-only space was a violation of the law.
"[T]he Court confirmed that a male’s presence in a females’ public restroom constitutes criminal trespass," he said. "When restrooms are separately designated for males and females, one is only permitted to use the restroom designed for his or her gender."
Additionally, Bailey alleged that – generally speaking – a biological male exposing himself in a female space "may be subject to further criminal liability for multiple sexual offenses, including sexual misconduct in the first degree and the felony offense of sexual misconduct involving a child."
Life Time gym's "policies are enabling potentially criminal behavior, and I am writing to assure you that it will not continue on my watch," the AG warned in a letter. (Adobe Stock)
The Life Time gym's "policies are enabling potentially criminal behavior, and I am writing to assure you that it will not continue on my watch," the AG warned. "If you insist on endangering women and young girls in our state, in open defiance of the law, be assured you will face the consequences."
Fox News Digital contacted Life Time fitness for comment and did not immediately receive a response.
The company previously released a statement which said it was complying with existing state laws.
Female athlete preparing for a workout in a gym locker room. (Adobe Stock)
"At Life Time, we recognize that there are varying opinions regarding locker room access. As a company, we are committed to following the law in every area we operate with respect to public accommodation. When members join Life Time, we review state-issued IDs to confirm their identity. The State of Missouri provides a mechanism for an individual to change their gender designation on their state-issued drivers’ license," the company said.
"In this instance, the member presented a state-issued drivers’ license identifying as female and, based on Missouri laws, we cannot deny or discriminate on the basis of sex. Therefore, the member is to use Life Time’s women’s locker room."
Hannah Grossman is a Reporter at Fox News Digital.
