An altercation between a young woman and the owner of a gym in Oissel, France has sparked significant attention. The woman wanted to work out without removing her headscarf, but the gym manager refused her request. The incident escalated into a confrontation when a third party intervened!
The young woman shares her ordeal!
The situation began on August 22, when the young woman visited the gym for the second time. Her identity has not yet been revealed, and it is unclear whether she had a similar experience during her first visit. However, she decided to speak out this time!
On social media, she explained that she was wearing her headscarf during the session, and soon after, someone from the gym informed her that the association president wanted to speak with her. He explained the gym’s rules and insisted that she remove her scarf.
“After 35 minutes of my workout, I was taken into the office and asked to remove my scarf, which I refused. They claimed I had been told to take it off at registration. I responded that I was only asked to wear discreet clothing, which I agreed to since I was wearing leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt in addition to my scarf,” she recounted.
The club owner explains!
The young woman mentioned that she never expected to “face discrimination” in her own town. Meanwhile, Thierry Mathieu, the club president, emphasizes the importance of following the gym’s rules. “Wearing a cap, scarf, headscarf, beanie, or any other distinctive symbol is prohibited,” he stated, referring to the club’s internal regulations.
Thierry added: “We have operational rules. If we start making exceptions for certain individuals, we won’t be able to manage. It’s not just about the scarf, but also caps, beanies, and flip-flops in the gym. We need to adhere to the rules, or else you cannot be part of the club.” However, he made a mistake by engaging in conversation with the young woman!
The young athlete shared: “He asked me if my husband was the one enforcing the wearing of the scarf. I was shocked and replied that no, I dress as I please. If he had imposed wearing the scarf, he would have prevented me from going to the gym, which is mixed-gender. Moreover, the question was posed in an assertive manner because he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t want to take it off.”
Support arrives for the young woman!
Seeing how the situation was unfolding, Thierry Mathieu admitted that he shouldn’t have asked the personal question. He stated: “That was a mistake on my part. I shouldn’t have done that. I wanted to initiate a discussion.” However, he filed a complaint regarding another unexpected incident!
The young woman’s brother allegedly stormed into the gym to seek revenge. Thierry Mathieu recounted: “He caused a ruckus and accused us of being racist, saying he’d set the place on fire, claiming that we wouldn’t be able to train here anymore.” However, the main individual involved was unaware that her brother had acted this way!
