The parent company of Washington Sports Club is ordered to pay a penalty of $100,000 to the District as part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed by DC Attorney General Karl Racine who accused the business of flouting COVID-19 emergency regulations.
“The District put emergency orders in place to help protect the health and safety of residents and reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Racine said in a release. “Unfortunately, Washington Sports Club created an environment that not only violated those rules and put District residents at risk, but also had the potential to spread COVID-19. With this announcement, OAG is continuing to protect residents — especially in the middle of a pandemic — by holding Washington Sports Club accountable and ensuring it follows District laws going forward.”
Racine’s office filed the lawsuit against the company on March 8, 2021, alleging its Dupont Club failed to comply with the city’s current rules about social-distancing and mandatory face covering, and misrepresented information on its website.
The gym also did not follow other procedures such as properly disinfecting equipment, which are part of DC’s emergency orders, according to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
BREAKING: Washington Sports Club will pay a $100K fine to resolve allegations that it failed to adhere to DC COVID-19 health & safety orders, misinformed patrons & put the heath of DC residents at risk. I sued them to hold them accountable & make sure workers & patrons are safe. https://t.co/XK8NTbcYBF
— AG Karl A. Racine (@AGKarlRacine) April 20, 2021
As per the terms and conditions, New TSI Holdings, Inc., the owner of Washington Sports Club, is required to pay the District $100,000 in penalties within seven days after the agreement is fully executed.
The company must also follow the city’s coronavirus health and safety guidelines, including posting signs on its front doors stating the face mask requirement, strictly enforcing the mask rule, as well as proper social distancing, with its customers and employees, and updating its website to include information on social distancing and correctly represent the level of safety at the gym.
Racine sued the chain two more times in recent years, in January 2019 and in August 2020. In those complaints, the gym’s previous owner was accused of continuing to charge its customers after they canceled their memberships and also while gyms were closed due to the pandemic.