An Orthodox Jewish woman is suing the Lucille Roberts health-club chain for allegedly pitching a holy fit when she insisted on wearing a skirt during her workouts in Brooklyn, The NY Post reports.
Yosefa Jalal, of Crown Heights, claims in court papers to be filed Friday that she was repeatedly harassed, threatened with arrest and ultimately had her membership revoked for following religious dictates regarding female modesty, which was reported on COLlive.com in July of 2015.
“I think it’s wrong what they did to me. I should be able to work out in a skirt,” Jalal, 25, told the NY Post.
“Just because I’m an observant Jew doesn’t mean that I should be treated like a criminal and shouldn’t be allowed to work out. It’s just not fair.”
Jalal’s Manhattan federal suit accuses the women’s-only fitness company of religious discrimination in violation of federal, state and city statutes.
The suit seeks unspecified damages, along with a court order forcing Lucille Roberts to reinstate her membership and prohibiting it “from discriminating on the basis of religion, and in particular, discriminating against observant-Jewish women.”
Jalal “observes the Jewish rules of modesty” and in public always “wears skirts and tights to cover her legs, and shirts that cover her elbows and come to her neck.”
After joining the gym in 2011, Jalal wore a skirt while working out at various branches where she used an elliptical machine and took weight-lifting, kickboxing and Zumba classes, the suit says.
Her workout attire first became an issue at a Kings Highway location, where she was told in 2013 and again the next year that she couldn’t wear her skirt, the NY Post reports.
Instead, she started going to a Lucille Roberts on Flatbush Avenue regularly until June 26 of this year, when a manager accused her of “ ‘trespassing’ because she was not wearing appropriate attire,” the suit alleges.
“I went to join a class that was going on, and ten minutes into it the lady at the desk came in and told the instructor to stop the class unless I took off my skirt,” she told COLlive. “I refused, so she stopped the class. Many of the participants were unhappy but she did not restart the class,” she said.
“She comes back to me saying that my membership has been revoked; I am trespassing and must leave. She also said the cops are on the way,” Jalal said.
Jalal’s lawyer called it “completely indefensible.”
“We don’t have different health clubs for Christians, for Muslims, for Hindus and for Jews,” said Ilann Maazel, of Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady. “Health clubs in New York City should be for everybody, whether you wear a cross, a Star of David or a skirt.”
A lawyer for Lucille Roberts declined to comment.
And bringing so much attention to her ‘plight’ is being modest!? She can go to a gym where you can wear a skirt, or work out at home.
No we’d all be bolting our doors because we’d have’extremists’ protesting’peacefully’ ahem piecefully.
I used to belong to a LR and workmen used to come into the class rooms for various purposes. So made sense to wear a skirt. Also, the windows in many LR aren’t fully covered.
It isn’t a chillul Hashem, you just have a chip on your Jewish shoulder
I was a member there for years. They recently became very unfriendly towards Jewish women. In fact, one of their instructors, Yenti, used to work out in a skirt all the time on the elliptical etc.
At our JCC many frum women work out in knee length skirts, on all the machines, and it’s completely not a safety issue, how much more so in a zumba or dance class
We need more people like you
Read all the comments b4 you post! Maybe someone already wrote something that takes away you argument. See number 32! That answers a lot of comments. Also saying it’s completely OK to wait workout clothes for workout is like saying you can wair non tznius clothes at a beach… Give me a break! An only women’s gym is only women working out not only women working. Oh and to all those upset with number 8: I’m pretty sure number 8 is a man making a joke. Bear in mind everyone: it’s anonymous comments, please will make jokes. Laugh and move… Read more »
What a shameful embarrassing way to go about enforcing the no skirt rule. Happy to hear that she’s sticking up for herself.
i am so happy to hear her suing, i was there over 10 yrs ago for over a year, and had no problem and then one day they also told me i cannot wear a skirt, and made such a fuss i had to leave and never went back again. i am so happy she is standing up for her rights. ( yes their was a man there when i was there, he said no one can stop him )
I was told to remove my skirt and an arab woman walked in 5 minutes after me in her head coverings and whole deal and no one said a word to her!
I have been going to crunch for a year.
I wear a skirt during my workout and many other women do as well.
The staff is very respectful and never made an issue about the skirts.
Just to set the facts straight. …
I used to be a member of Lucille Roberts for a few years.
Although they are officially an all women’s gym, that is NOT correct.
In many locations they have male instructors, personal trainers, guards, or secretaries who are CONSTANTLY around during your workout.
The length of the skirt makes a big difference.
If it was a short flary skirt right below the knee, it is totally safe. I’ve worked out in such skirts for years.
If it was a long skirt, then out can pose a possible safety hazard.
there is nothing wrong with working out in proper gym clothes. this is a total chillul hashem on her part. if you want to belong to any gym or club, you have to follow the rules.
would you all be shouting “freedom of religon” if a Muslim woman was wearing a Burka inside???…. if its an “all womens facility” she doesnt need to wear her skirt.
I could see a problem with a long skirt getting caught on a bike. but why should it be dangerous for dancing?
Keeping in shape and exercising is not avoda zora.
by the way little boys with their long tzitzis hanging down get caught in trikes and can get nearly strangled not to mention what it does to the tzitzis! skirts are not so likely to cause damage to anything other than the skirt!
Just because you’re a board soul and just want to cook and clean don’t start telling people off. First check what the rambam says regarding keeping your body healthy
At the time of the incident, Ms. Jalal was wearing a knee length pencil skirt. it was not long and flowy. Wearing loose sweatpants would be a bigger hazard on the machinery than the skirt that she was wearing.
Dance around the kitchen w your kids while you’re at it, you’ll burn more and have fun too.
AN OBSERVANT JEWISH WOMEN MUST ALWAYS WAIR A SKIRT COVERING HER KNEE!! BASIC HALOCHA! THE FACT THAT JUST ABOVE THE KNEE BECAME ACCEPTED DOES NOT MEAN IT’S OK!! IF YOU KNOW OTHERWISE PLEASE BRING PROOF.
NOW, IF THE GYM HAD A SAFETY ISSUE THEY COULD HAVE MADE HER SIGN A FORM EXEMPTING THE FROM INJURIES CAUSED BY HER WAIRING A SKIRT!
My opinion: she will probably win although I don’t care that much. What irritates me are the people that make their own halochos and comments that weren’t thought out.
Anyway I wish EVERYONE a good Yom Tov!
I work out in crunch and they couldn’t care less what you are wearing and I am always dresses Tznuies.. With a skirt.
You can work out just fine in a skirt and many gyms have no prob w it. Good for her.
First of all, Frum jews are allowed to wear gym clothes for working out. Second of all, a rule is a rule & they are very clear about their rule of not allowed to wear skirts while working out.
Emery Celli is a top notch firm in civil rights. I predict a win.
Hope you win!good for you!you’re a great role model!
And their staff are not the most quality characters. Glad she’s doing something about it.
To# 6 you’re right we need a Sue to teach them a lesson
And there for it says in shulchon aruch you have to be tznius all the time great job for fighting for religious beliefs
even if its all women some dont feel comfortable without a skirt and if shes wearing a short flary (knee length) skirt its not so likely that it will get stuck
What is unsafe about doing zumba, kickbox or any other workout class whilst wearing a skirt ?
Proud of you sister
You totally missed the point. Equal rights for all religions.
This was not a safety issue. It was harassment
The gym did not discriminate because of religion. It is a safety measure. You shouldn’t wear dresses in a gym, where it can easily get caught while spinning, on a treadmill or a various of other machines. It’s not a matter of religious freedom, just common sense. If someone’s dress got caught in a machine and caused her serious injury, you better believe that the gym is now liable for that. Grow up.
I agree!
Yosefa, you seem like a smart girl and I get your plight, I really do, but it is EXTREMELY dangeous to work out in a long skirt. I’m a competitive athlete myself and I know that the laws of Tzniut are vital. Halacha states that the inner thigh must not be shown. Very loose sweat pants are often more modest and safer than a skirt. If you must wear a skirt, wear a shorter, flowy one that doesn’t drag and/or constrict movement.
good for her for staying strong
I don’t think us women should work out,it’s all avoda Zahra to make our bodies look attractive,but we shouldn’t listen to the yetzer hora,stay home and just cook food and take care of the house,you’ll burn lots of calories too!
What safety she might get sucked into the treadmil by her skirt ,come on give me a break!shake a leg,break a leg,whatever but come on?!?
Ps Zuma isn’t tznius it’s non Jewish music and no ‘frum’ lady belongs there
The type of role model needed today!
So what?? Tznius applies even if you are ALONE and there is NOBODY around!
So they could make her sign something which says she is doing it at her own risk. Are you saying that just because she is an observant Jewish female she can’t go to gym??
this is so distasteful. Many (most) gyms do not allow skirts for safety reasons. She should either get a treadmill or an elliptical and work out at home, or wear proper fitness clothing.
Freedom of religion!
Some women still feel more comfortable and Tznius wearing skirts even in front of only women.
isn’t Lucille Roberts all women??