Urban Athletic Club, a D.C.-based gym with locations around the District, has been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for multiple violations of COVID-19 health and safety requirements at its Shaw location at 804 N St. Northwest.
The D.C. Office of the Attorney General filed suit in December, alleging that Urban Athletic allowed customers to exercise without masks and without properly distancing, and did not properly sanitize equipment.
The club has gyms in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, Adams Morgan at the Line Hotel, Glover Park in the Kimpton Glover Park Hotel, and The Watergate.
The lawsuit said on six separate occasions, an OAG investigator observed multiple gym-goers at the Shaw location exercising indoors without masks, and employees failing to enforce mask requirements and sanitize equipment between uses, among other violations.
“While Urban Athletic Club began complying with health and safety guidelines shortly after we filed suit in December, this settlement holds the company accountable for its previous failures and sends the message that any business that refuses to take legally required steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be held accountable,” Attorney General Karl Racine said in a statement.
As part of the settlement, Urban Athletic Club must continue to suspend indoor group exercise classes and outdoor exercise classes of more than 25 people as long as current COVID-19 orders are in effect.
It is required to pay $5,000 within one week to the District, and another $5,000 within six months.
The lawsuit and settlement do not include the Urban Athletic Club’s other locations.
A copy of the consent judgement has been posted online.
