The Asian man can be seen standing up for himself in one clip, but it’s unclear how long the other man’s racist tirade went.
Aside from coronavirus slurs, the man allegedly used the word “terrorist” and stated, “Go clean my toilet, Gonzolas.”
The incident quickly sparked outrage on social media, with many calling to have his membership revoked.
“Come at me, Chad. I’m always at the platform from 4:30 – 5:30. I can show you how to work your legs instead of your mouth,” one Instagram user wrote.
“Start punching these racist people in the mouth. Make them think twice of the teeth they want to salvage,” another suggested.
Actor and director Bart Kwan chimed in, “Man I wished I was there last week. I would’ve kissed him with my COVID mouth.”
In a statement to NextShark, 24 Hour Fitness explained that the company has ended the man’s membership following his “abhorrent behavior” in the incident.
“At 24 Hour Fitness we have always maintained a commitment to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy club environment for our team members, club members and guests that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We are appalled by the incident and the conduct displayed at the 24 Hour Fitness UTC club in San Diego yesterday; we do not tolerate racism in our clubs. We are proud of how our club team was able to de-escalate the situation and have taken the proper steps to ensure a safe and inclusive club environment.”
Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.
Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.
We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.