Photo: iStock Editorial
A Boston woman is seeking justice after staffers at her local YMCA called the police on her when she refused to give up her seat to a white woman in a fitness class, per Atlanta Black Star.
The alleged discrimination against 72-year-old Maria Spooner, who is Black, unfolded at the South Boston YMCA on August 18. Spooner said she arrived early to a group exercise class at the YMCA and claimed a front-row chair. According to Spooner, a white woman who entered the room after her requested the same seat, prompting the instructor to ask the 72-year-old woman to move. Spooner refused as there are no officially assigned seats in the class.
“My mother sat in her seat, which was supposed to be an open space, equal seating for everyone,” Spooner's son, Steven, said. “But apparently that lady had the right to have her seat, but my mother did not have a right to have a free seat.”
Spooner streamed the confrontation on Facebook Live, capturing footage of the white woman sticking her tongue out, flipping her off, and saying "I don't give a s**t" when the 72-year-old asked why she was being told to move. The instructor reportedly told Spooner that the woman had been sitting in that spot for a year.
“I am tired of this white privilege,” Spooner said during the confrontation.
A YMCA staffer accused Spooner of “derailing the class” and called 911. Video shows three South Boston police officers responding to the scene and telling Spooner she could leave or face trespassing charges.
The South Boston Police Department released its own version of events, stating that two individuals had a dispute over a chair. According to police, one person arrived first but briefly left the room, during which the second person entered and took the chair. When the first person returned, police said she put a new chair beside the occupied one and refused to move when asked.
Police said Spooner was disrupting class operations and ignored repeated requests from staff to relocate. Spooner ultimately complied with officers' orders and left the YMCA.
Following the incident, Spooner's family is calling for a formal apology from the YMCA and “corrective measures” to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The YMCA acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying, “We are aware of the incident that took place during an exercise class and the videos that have been shared publicly. What unfolded at that time fell short of the safe and welcoming environment we strive to create. We are taking this very seriously. … We are reviewing our policies to strengthen safety and fairness, and we are implementing additional training for our teams to better support our community moving forward.”
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.