A woman from an Ottawa suburb says she was told her that her outfit was "inappropriate" and "offensive" by staff members at her gym.
Jenna Vecchio, from Orleans, Ont., wrote about her experience on Facebook, recounting that a female staff member at Movati Athletic gym shamed her for wearing a tank top.
"I will start by saying my tank top was no different than many other women's tank top at the club; except my chest size is much larger in appearance in comparison to my frame than many of the other women," she wrote.
Vecchio said she asked every woman at the gym if her outfit offended them and when they all said 'no', she went back to two women supervisors to tell them.
"I pointed out to them that my shirt was no different than any other woman's shirt," she wrote. "They informed me that it did not matter that due to my chest size I could not wear a tank top. I felt humiliated and discriminated against due to my figure. I was singled out and it is unfair to say I cannot wear a tank top and other women can! Different figures means different rules?"
She also wrote the gym's supervisors told her since they were a private club, they could make their own rules over what club members can and cannot wear.
In her Facebook post, she also included photos of what she wore on the day she says she was discriminated against, as well as photos from the gym's website showing women wearing similar tank tops.
Here's her full statement and photos:
The gym made a statement to BuzzFeed Canada, stating Vecchio "was not as modest as she has suggested via the images she shared recently on Facebook and through media interviews, and caused multiple members to feel uncomfortable and voice their concerns to our staff."
After performing a "thorough investigation" into the matter, they said they stood by "the original decision that confirms that Ms. Vecchio was dressed inconsistently with our code of conduct."
"The Movati staff never indicated Ms. Vecchio’s style of shirt was not appropriate – it was the lack of coverage that was the issue as she exercised adjacent to other members. While in no way did we mean to embarrass Ms. Vecchio, we did feel it necessary to address the situation with her due to member discomfort," read the statement.
They concluded by saying, "While it is unfortunate that Ms. Vecchio felt she had a negative experience, it was certainly not Movati’s intent. Our complete focus is a positive, respectful and healthy environment for all members as they pursue their fitness and wellness goals."
Also on HuffPost
