Florida AG warns gym to follow biological sex in locker room policy after a woman reports encountering a "man in a bikini."

State Attorney General Responds to Complaint at Palm Beach Gym

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a formal warning to Life Time Fitness in Palm Beach Gardens, demanding the club revise its locker room policies or face legal consequences. The move follows a complaint from a woman who reported encountering a biological male in the women’s sauna, prompting accusations that the gym is violating state law.

The woman, Sonja Horton, stated she felt unsafe after seeing what she described as a "man in a bikini" in the women’s locker room. When she brought her concerns to the gym's staff, she was told, "whatever you identify as, you can go wherever you want," according to her statement reported by WPTV.

Uthmeier cited Florida’s "Let Kids Be Kids" law and existing civil rights protections in issuing a warning to Life Time Inc. “Men don’t belong in female restrooms and locker rooms. That’s not happening in Florida under my watch,” Uthmeier said Thursday. “Life Time has a choice: immediately change your policy so that your female patrons can stay active, free from fear and with their privacy intact or, we’ll meet you in court.”

The attorney general’s office asserts that the gym’s current policy—allowing individuals to use facilities based on gender identity—“clearly harm[s] and endanger[s] women.” The letter emphasized that even if Palm Beach County's ordinance recognizes gender identity as a protected class, it cannot override Florida laws safeguarding sex-based privacy rights.

Legal Clash Between State and Local Policies

In response, a spokesperson for Life Time said the company had carefully reviewed Uthmeier’s interpretation of state law and its interaction with Palm Beach County’s local ordinance. The gym said it is committed to complying with all relevant public accommodation laws at the federal, state, and local levels.

“Accordingly, we will comply with Attorney General Uthmeier’s legal opinion while also remaining committed to welcoming all members at our Palm Beach Gardens club,” the Life Time official stated.

The gym further explained that it balances the Florida Civil Rights Act’s prohibition of discrimination based on sex with Palm Beach County’s protections for gender identity and expression.

Governor Ron DeSantis’ office backed the attorney general’s position. “In Florida, we reject the lie that men can become women and support the privacy and safety of women's private spaces, like locker rooms,” said Brian Wright, a spokesperson for the governor.

As the legal interpretation of public accommodation laws continues to generate conflict between state mandates and local ordinances, the outcome of this warning could set a precedent for how gyms and other facilities handle gender identity in relation to locker room access.