€4k for gym user after membership dissolved in ‘retaliation’

A woman unjustly barred from a gym was awarded €4,000 in compensation after the Equality Tribunal ruled that a company dissolved her membership in “retaliation against her husband”, a former employee.

Anne Palmer had been a member of Active Fitness Leisure Club in Galway for 17 years. She had enjoyed a preferential rate as her husband, John, had been head of maintenance of the Connacht hotel (formerly Days Hotel, Carlton Hotel, and Galway Ryan Hotel) in which the gym is located.

Her husband had been involved in a dispute with his employer and his membership was cancelled in June 2012. As a result Ms Palmer received a letter from the manager of Active Fitness on September 7, 2012, stating she could no longer avail of her preferential rate for family of employees.