Inside the $11 million verdict that exposed the dark side of a luxury fitness gym

Röbynn Europedidn’t expect her greatest battle to be fought inside a luxury gym. A former professional bodybuilder with a background in art, she had once viewed fitness as a path toward healing and self-empowerment.But in 2018, what began as a promising leadership role at Equinox’s upscale Upper East Side location turned into a bruising experience that, years later, would culminate in a jury awarding her $11.25 million in damages.Europe had quickly risen through the ranks after being hired, promoted to oversee a team of 15 employees. But beneath the eucalyptus-scented steam rooms and sleek aesthetic of Equinox, she says, lay something far more corrosive: unchecked racism and sexism.In her lawsuit filed in 2020, Europe described a “toxic atmosphere” created by a white subordinate who repeatedly made vulgar remarks about Black women’s bodies and refused to accept her authority. “Racism and sexism — they are just pervasive in the fitness industry,” she told The New York Times' Ginia Bellafante in a recent interview.Europe said the comments weren’t subtle. They were overt, personal, and constant. According to court documents, the subordinate allegedly referred to nonwhite employees as “lazy,” called a Black coworker “autistic,” and even once suggested that Europe accompany him outside a local café so he could hit on a young Black woman — believing her presence as a Black woman might “help” his chances. “She refused to be a racial pawn,” her complaint stated.She brought her concerns to management, hoping for accountability. What she said she got instead was retaliation.Equinox terminated her less than a year after she was hired, citing her being late to work 47 times in 11 months. Europe didn’t deny the tardiness, but argued that it had become a pretext. In her lawsuit, she said other employees with worse attendance records were never reprimanded. “She was never late for a training appointment with a client, never kept a client waiting, and regularly stayed an hour or more past the end of her shift,” the suit noted.On May 7, a jury of five women and three men in Manhattan federal court agreed. After just over an hour of deliberation, they sided with Europe, awarding her $1.25 million in compensatory damages, $16,000 in back pay, and $10 million in punitive damages. According to court records reviewed by CBS MoneyWatch in 2023, the judgment was rooted in race and gender discrimination, not the dismissed retaliation claim.“The jury sent a loud message to Equinox that there are serious consequences for corporations that permit racist and sexist behavior in the workplace,” said Susan Crumiller, one of Europe’s attorneys, in a statement in 2023. “We are also pleased that the jury found Equinox’s racism had a severe and lasting impact on Röbynn’s mental health and that she deserved to be compensated for it.”The toll on Europe’s well-being was not just professional. The hostile environment exacerbated her struggle with bulimia — a condition she’d battled much of her life. She testified that while at Equinox, she began vomiting multiple times a day and eventually threw up blood. She later entered a treatment program.The gym, for its part, has doubled down on its defense. In a statement to CBS, Equinox maintained: “This is a case of termination for performance related to attendance, and nothing more.”The company added, “We vehemently disagree with the jury’s finding, as well as the unjust and excessive award, and have filed a motion seeking to have the judge overturn the jury’s decision.”Equinox’s reputation as a luxury fitness brand is central to its image. With over 100 locations in major cities like New York and San Francisco, memberships can cost several hundred dollars per month. Its marketing is aspirational — exclusivity, elite performance, wellness — but for Europe, it was a place where “management structure is often white and male,” and corporate actions didn’t reflect the polished brand exterior.Europe’s story resonates far beyond the boundaries of a gym. As some experts have pointed out, Europe’s victory against a high-profile organization set a precedent for coming cases, where the juries appear more willing to recognize the emotional harm inflicted by racial and gender-based abuse, even if it was against strong and famous people.