What to know
- A Sikh man says he was asked to leave a Windsor GoodLife Fitness because he was carrying a kirpan, a ceremonial article of faith.
- A viral TikTok video captures an employee telling him the kirpan was considered a weapon and asking him to leave for safety reasons.
- The man alleges he was racially profiled and later shared an email from GoodLife saying the company is investigating the incident.
- GoodLife says the interaction did not reflect its established practices and reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion and compliance with Canadian human rights laws.
GoodLife Fitness says it is addressing a situation involving one of its employees after a guest alleged racial discrimination when he was asked to leave a Windsor gym for carrying a religious item.
A now-viral TikTok video posted by Gurpartap Singh Khalsa, who is Sikh, shows an interaction at a GoodLife Fitness location in Windsor on July 15. Khalsa alleges he was asked to leave the gym because he was carrying a kirpan, a ceremonial blade worn by initiated Sikhs as an article of faith.
@dreambodygurp I WAS TARGETED THIS GIRL SAID SHE IS SCARED BECAUSE I AM CARRYING A KNIFE (KIRPAN) ASKED ME TO LEAVE BUT SHE LET ME IN KNOWING I HAD IT ON…THIS IS GOOD LIFE WINDSOR DOUGLAS @GoodLife Fitness UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR #tiktok #fyp #motivation #waheguru #viral ♬ original sound – Gurpartap Singh Khalsa
Heated exchange captured on video
In the video, Khalsa and a GoodLife employee exchange words after she tells him he must leave the gym.
Khalsa claims the employee suggested she feared he would use the religious symbol to “kill” somebody.
The employee responds that he is being asked to leave because the kirpan is considered a “weapon.”
“What I’m saying is you have a weapon on your person, a member has brought it to my attention, and for the safety of me and everybody else in the gym, I’m asking you to leave,” she says in the video.
The employee also tells Khalsa that, as a private gym, GoodLife is permitted to deny him access.
Khalsa then questions why he was initially allowed to enter the facility if the kirpan was an issue. The employee responds that she did not notice the item when he first entered.
Khalsa alleges racial profiling.
In a follow-up video, Khalsa says the employee threatened to call police, though officers never arrived and he eventually left the gym.
“I was racially profiled here, and it’s very, very sad. GoodLife, out of all places,” he says.
In another follow-up post, Khalsa shared what he said was an email from GoodLife, in which the company said it was investigating the incident and that what occurred was not reflective of its policies or values.
GoodLife responds
In a statement to Now Toronto, GoodLife said it is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone.
“The interaction shown in the video reflects a situation where our established practices were not applied as intended,” the company said.
GoodLife added that it complies with all applicable government legislation, including Canadian human rights laws.
