Gresham, Oregon – A Black member of the 24 Hour Fitness gym in Gresham has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging repeated racial profiling and discrimination by a staff member. The lawsuit, filed on March 4 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, accuses Gratian Russell, a staff member at the gym, of racially profiling Rishon Hall and ejecting him from the premises on multiple occasions. The lawsuit also includes evidence from Russell’s public Facebook page, which the plaintiff’s attorney describes as racially insensitive.
According to the lawsuit, the first incident occurred on February 13 when Russell approached Hall during his workout, accusing him of violating the gym’s membership policies. Hall insisted that he had never used that particular location and accused Russell of racial profiling. In response, Russell demanded Hall’s identification and threatened to cancel his membership and call the police. Three more instances occurred in February and March 2024, where Hall was asked to leave the gym by Russell, even in the presence of students from the school where Hall works.
After the second incident, Hall contacted the gym’s manager to file a complaint. As a result, Hall received a three-month credit on his membership account. On two occasions, police were called to the gym at Russell’s request. During the first visit, police ordered Hall to leave to avoid confrontation. However, during the second visit, Hall contested Russell’s claim that he had been trespassed from the gym and proceeded to work out after police left.
On March 3, Russell allegedly cancelled Hall’s membership and called the police again, falsely claiming that Hall had threatened him with physical harm. In his lawsuit, Hall asserts that these actions and 24 Hour Fitness’ failure to supervise Russell violated his civil rights and caused him emotional distress, humiliation, and anger. Hall is seeking $1.5 million in damages.
Both Gratian Russell and 24 Hour Fitness have not responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations. The lawsuit comes amidst a larger societal conversation about racial profiling and discrimination, as incidents of racial bias in various settings continue to garner public attention.