Floyd v. 24 Hour Fitness USA, LLC.

District Court, N.D. California·Decided July 10, 2025·No. 3:23-cv-00871·Unknown

Opinion

MICHAEL DEVIN FLOYD, Case No. 23-cv-00871-EMC

Plaintiff, ORDER ON DEFENDANT’S SECOND MOTION FOR SUMMARY v. JUDGMENT

24 HOUR FITNESS USA, LLC, Docket No. 127-1 Defendant.

Plaintiff Michael Devin Floyd, proceeding pro se, has filed suit against Defendant 24 Hour Fitness USA, LLC (“24H”). Mr. Floyd alleges that 24H violated his rights by, inter alia, having him removed from a gym on two different occasions and then terminating his gym membership. This Court granted 24H’s first motion for summary judgment, dismissing Mr. Floyd’s claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED), breach of contract, breach of the implied duty to perform with reasonable care, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and a violation of California Business and Professions Code § 17200. Dkt. 130. Before the Court is 24H’s second motion for summary judgment on Mr. Floyd’s remaining claims of defamation and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress. See Dkt. 127-1. Under Civil Local Rule 7-1(b), the Court finds the matter suitable for disposition without oral argument. For the reasons below, the Court GRANTS 24H’s motion. A. Factual Background The undisputed facts and any facts subject to dispute but viewed in Mr. Floyd’s favor 1. General Background On January 5, 2022, Mr. Floyd signed up for a gym membership with 24H and entered into the relevant membership agreement (“Agreement”). Dkt. 96-4, Ex. A – Agreement. The Agreement requires that members “not engage in any conduct in any 24 Hour facility that includes, without limitation, using loud, abusive, offensive, insulting, demeaning language, profanity, lewd conduct or any conduct that harasses or is bothersome to members, guests or employees.” Id. Ex. B – 24H Membership Policies and Club Rules. Section 6 of the Agreement on Termination for Cause states that 24H may, at its option, terminate an individual’s gym membership if the individual fails to follow any of the Club Rules or any part of the Agreement, or the individual’s “conduct is improper or harmful to the best interest of 24 Hour or its members.” Id. The relevant incidents occurred at the 24H gym located at 2480 Whipple Road in Hayward, California. Dkt. 96-4 at 2 (Martinez Decl. ¶ 2). 2. Complaints Against Mr. Floyd and Subsequent Revocation of Membership 24H recorded entries regarding five member complaints about Mr. Floyd’s conduct between July 9, 2022 and October 1, 2022. See Dkt. 96-4 at 18 (Ex. C – Mr. Floyd’s Member Profile showing other members’ complaints regarding Mr. Floyd’s conduct). In sum, women gym members reported that Mr. Floyd engaged in harassing behavior, including inappropriate touching during workouts. Id. (July 9, 2022 and October 1, 2022 incidents). One member, V.H., stated that Mr. Floyd followed her, stood too close, grabbed her arm when she tried to leave, and made her feel unsafe and watched, while her friend H.S. confirmed the incident and described both of them being left in tears. Dkts. 96-5 ¶ 6 and 96-6 ¶¶ 3–6 (July 18, 2022 incident). That day, a 24H employee named Michael Martinez asked Mr. Floyd “to leave and return to speak with [his] General Manager (“GM”) Alyese Bryant (“Bryant”) the next day.” Dkt. 96-4 at 4 (Martinez Decl. ¶ 12). On July 19, 2022, Mr. Floyd “returned to the gym to speak with GM Bryant about these complaints.” Id. In his deposition, Mr. Floyd confirmed that he “did have an opportunity to speak with managers and provide [his] side of the story.” Dkt. 96-3 at 77 (Floyd Dep. 151:2-5). her feel so unsafe that she began carrying mace and a taser and avoided walking to her car alone. Dkt. 96-5 ¶¶ 5, 7–8 (September 9, 2022 incident). Subsequently, a member reported that Mr. Floyd followed her to her car on September 30, 2022. Dkt. 96-4 at 20. On October 1, 2022, Mr. Floyd’s membership profile reflects that multiple members had reported inappropriate touching and the police removed him for trespass. Id. at 20-21. On October 3, 2022, 24H’s general manager Alyese Bryant completed a revocation request form (“Form”) detailing the October 1, 2022 incident and the four preceding incidents. Dkt. 96-4 at 24 (Ex. D – “Member Threaten to Revoke or Revoke Request Form”). Regarding the October 1, 2022 incident, the Form states, “Michael Floyd approached a female member and grabbed [her] while she was working out, when the member to[ld] Michael to not touch her[,] he responded “I don’t care if you don’t like it report it.” Id.1 Thereafter, in October 2022, 24H terminated Mr. Floyd’s membership because he had “engaged in inappropriate conduct by acting confrontational and displaying improper [and] harassing behavior towards other members while using the facility.” Dkt. 96-4 at 4 (Martinez Decl. ¶ 18); see 24H’s First Motion for Summary Judgment, Ex. E (Letter from Membership Services). 3. October 1, 2022 Interaction with Police and the Statement at Issue On October 1, 2022, the Hayward Police Department responded to a report from 24H employee Andrew Pratt that Mr. Floyd had inappropriately touched members. Dkt. 127-2 at 12.2 Specifically, on October 1, 2022, the police “dispatch relayed that the reporting party Andrew Pratt stated that a gym member, later…identified…as Michael Floyd, was sexually harassing women and physically touching them.” Id. The police responded to Mr. Pratt’s report and arrived at the gym. Id. 1 See Fonseca, 374 F.3d at 846 (holding that evidence is “admissible for summary judgment purposes because [it] could be presented in an admissible form at trial.”) (internal citation omitted). 2 In the context of summary judgment, the Hayward Police Department’s case report and supplemental report on Mr. Pratt’s witness statement may be considered pursuant to Rule 54(c)(2) because they fall within Federal Rule of Evidence 803(8)’s exception to hearsay for public Hayward Police Department’s supplemental report regarding Mr. Pratt’s witness statement recounts that the officer on scene “spoke with a…witness, Andrew Pratt,” who told him that Mr. Floyd “would touch females in inappropriate ways and make them feel uncomfortable while working out.” Id. at 20. The parties submitted body-camera footage transcripts wherein Mr. Walter Kane, a 24H employee, told Mr. Floyd in front of the police that female members had complained that Mr. Floyd had touched them inappropriately. Dkts. 92-6 at 1-3 (Mr. Floyd’s excerpt of the transcript) and 127-2, Ex. D (24H’s full transcript). Mr. Kane also asked Mr. Floyd to leave. Dkt. 127-2 at 37. The transcripts reflect that when Mr. Floyd asked Mr. Kane why Mr. Kane was asking him “to leave,” Mr. Kane responded: “Because you’re here assaulting women…Physically touching them inappropriately.” Id. at 38. A police officer intervened and stated: “You are assaulting women that are feeling uncomfortable…They don’t want you here. They’re refusing service to you.” Id. at 40. Mr. Floyd responded: “It’d be against the law [to] refuse service for no reason,” to which Mr. Kane responded that he “got reports from my staff…You come up blatantly admitted to this…that you’re going up and grabbing them in the ass and other parts of their body.” Id. at 41. Mr. Floyd then asked for the identity of the members who complained, to which a police officer responded that they “cannot give names out.” Id. at 42. When Mr. Floyd refused to leave, Mr. Kane stated: “Now I’m asking you to leave peacefully.” Id. Mr. Floyd continued to refuse and inquired if “[t]his happened today.” Id. Mr. Kane responded: “This has happened multiple times. Most recently tonight as of five minutes ago when I was coming in.” Id. Mr. Floyd responded: “This did not happen today. This did not happen multiple times.” Id. at 43. Then, Mr. Floyd disputed that he has “grabbed some woman on the ass” and that it has “happened multiple times.” Id. Mr. Floyd stated that before leaving he was going to “take

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Floyd v. 24 Hour Fitness USA, LLC., (N.D. Cal. 2025).

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