Planet Fitness, known for their 'No Judgement Zone,' allegedly kicks man out for having Tourette's


A man from Southwest Florida claims he was asked to leave a Planet Fitness, a gym which boasts a “No Judgement Zone,” due to his medical condition.

Fox 4 Now reports that Josh Ertter visited a Planet Fitness in North Fort Myers, Fla. with his fiancé and his brother when, just minutes after he began his workout, an assistant manager told him he was making too much noise, and he was asked to leave. Employees were made aware of Ertter’s medical condition, Tourette’s, before he began his workout.

Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo’s newsletter.

“He was like ‘sir, I know you have Tourette’s, and I know you can’t control it, but we’re going to have to ask you to leave. You’re not welcomed here.’ And I was like what? Seriously?” Ertter told the outlet.

Ertter, unsure of how to feel after the incident, told Fox 4 that his Tourettes is something out of his control. “Trust me, I swear if I could stop I would, I don’t enjoy doing this,” he said.

Ertter is hopeful that this incident doesn’t shine a negative light on Planet Fitness, but rather, it will help educate others about Tourette’s syndrome. He said, “I truly want to use this platform as a way to raise awareness for Tourette’s because of the lack of education. To get kicked out of somewhere and discriminated against for that, that’s just ignorance and intolerance.”

Tourette’s syndrome, which typically starts in childhood, is characterized by uncontrollable repetitive movements or unwanted sounds, called tics, which may include a person repeatedly blinking their eyes, shrugging the shoulders, or making noises. The cause of Tourette’s syndrome is unknown.

While Planet Fitness did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment, they sent the following statement to Fox 4: “We sincerely apologize for the unfortunate incident that took place at our North Fort Myers club. In this instance, a staff member enforced a company policy in error. While the staff’s actions were not malicious in their intent, we are working closely with the franchise owner to re-educate the staff on our current policies and protocols. We have also contacted this guest directly to personally convey our sincerest regrets.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.