Lawsuit Accusing Planet Fitness of Unlawfully Charging Fees During Pandemic Dismissed

CHICAGO — An Illinois federal judge has dismissed a putative class action accusing Planet Fitness of unlawfully charging its clients membership fees when its gyms were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, ruling that the dispute must be arbitrated as to one of the two named plaintiffs.

In a March 26 order, Judge Robert Blakey of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the second plaintiff’s claims must be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(7) for failure to join an indispensable party — the company which owns his gym.

Planet Fitness, Inc. operates nearly 2,000 fitness centers across …