Woman Claims Gym Kicked Her Out For Having Big Breasts

A Canadian woman was humiliated by gym employees for what she was wearing. 

Jenna Vecchio, a member of the Movati Athletic Club in Orleans, Ontario, explained that she’d been kicked out of the gym in a Facebook post that went viral. 

“I was instructed by a supervisor at the club that my tank top was inappropriate dress and is offensive to both staff and other members,” she wrote. “I will start by saying my tank top was no different than many other women’s tank tops at the club, except my chest size is much larger in appearance in comparison to my frame than many of the other women.”

Vecchio posted photos of herself dressed in the black racerback tank top, which she wore with full-length leggings, Daily Mail reported. She told Canada’s MetroNews that she was working out with her husband when two female gym staffers approached her and said that other members were complaining that her top made them feel “uncomfortable.”

The tattooed gym rat, who moved to Ontario from Halifax, Nova Scotia, told the newspaper she was confused because other women in the gym were wearing similar tops. She mentioned the Movati Athletic Club’s website, which features several photographs of women working out in similar athletic wear to what she was wearing.

Other than a small sign that says “Members are required to wear modest athletic attire and appropriate shoes at all times,” there was nothing on the gym’s website or property that said women were not allowed to wear tank tops, reports Daily Mail. 

“I said I can’t help it that my chest may appear larger than some other women’s here because of my small frame, but I can’t do anything about it,” Vecchio said, Metro reported.  “I felt humiliated. I was made to feel uncomfortable. I felt degraded.”

The gym’s owners refused to back down. While Vecchio said she asked several women at the gym if her clothing made them feel uncomfortable and didn’t find anyone who said yes, the gym released a statement saying that the decision to remove her from the facility was provoked by a series of complaints.

”While it may not have been intentional, Ms. Vecchio’s attire 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,” the statement read. 

Gym staff conducted an “investigation” by speaking with members who were working out that day as well as Vecchio herself, and concluded the employees who were working that day made the right decision. 

The gym also said it wasn’t the fact that Vecchio was wearing a tank top that led to the decision — it was because that particular top was too revealing. 

“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,” the company’s statement read. “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.”

Vecchio’s Facebook post was shared more than 4,000 times in five days, and dozens of people left negative feedback on Movati’s page, criticizing the gym for “shaming” Vecchio.

Sources: Daily Mail, MetroNews, BuzzFeed / Photo credit: Joe Lofaro/MetroNews