JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is investigating a gym in Ellisville after complaints were made that biological males have been allowed in the women's locker room.
Constituents in Ellisville made complaints to Bailey about Life Time Fitness, alleging biological males had been allowed in private spaces where only women and girls are allowed.
Bailey's office has issued subpoenas and notified the gym that it faces potential criminal and civil liabilities regarding the policy, which Bailey says jeopardizes the safety of women and girls.
Bailey criticized the gym for dismissing safety concerns and enforcing the use of "correct pronouns" for biological males, suggesting that such policies prioritize political correctness over public safety.
Bailey underscored his belief that this approach is unacceptable and incompatible with the values of many Missourians.
"It has come to my attention that Life Time Fitness has proudly adopted a policy that permits biological men to use locker rooms designated specifically for women and young girls," Bailey wrote in the Aug. 2 notice. "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.' While it might be considered fashionable in certain corporate boardrooms to pretend that biology is irrelevant, the American heartland still lives in reality. 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. That is why I am putting you on notice that you are under investigation."
Bailey, who has a personal stake in the matter as a husband and father, referenced his experience with similar cases. He noted that he refused to let women and girls in Ellisville face the same danger as those in a previous case he prosecuted, State v. Girardier.
In State v. Girardier, which was a notable criminal trespass case where a male’s presence in a women’s restroom was deemed illegal under Missouri law, Bailey personally prosecuted the case.
The attorney general also cited the case to emphasize that Missouri law protects gender-specific spaces and that the presence of biological males in such areas can constitute criminal trespass and lead to further sexual misconduct charges.
"As Attorney General, I will vigorously defend and enforce Missouri’s laws," Bailey wrote. "You face both potential criminal and civil liabilities, and you can expect to receive civil investigative demands from my office in short order. 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."
The Attorney General's notice emphasized that Life Time Fitness's policy could facilitate illegal activities and that his office would enforce Missouri’s laws rigorously.
Bailey vowed to take both criminal and civil actions against the gym if it continues to permit practices that he views as endangering women and girls. He assured that the gym would face significant consequences if it defied legal standards and jeopardized public safety.