A Johnson County woman has filed a lawsuit against Kansas City-based Genesis Health Clubs, alleging she was groomed and sexually abused by one of the company’s personal trainers when she was a teenager.
On Sept. 1 in Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court, the woman — identified as Jane Doe in court documents — filed the lawsuit against Genesis, saying the trainer abused her between January 2021 and March 2021, when she was 16.
The alleged crimes took place at the gym’s Ward Parkway location at 8600 Ward Parkway in Kansas City, Missouri, just across the state line from Johnson County.
The lawsuit names four defendants, all entities of Genesis Health Clubs, including Genesis Health Clubs of Kansas City, LLC, which operates the Ward Parkway branch.
The lawsuit says that the plaintiff’s parents enrolled her in personal training sessions as a teenager at the Ward Parkway Genesis gym, where she was abused by her 31-year-old trainer, whose name is not revealed in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by the personal injury firm Monsees and Mayer.
“The lawsuit alleges that Genesis knew, or had reason to know, (the personal trainer) possessed a dangerous propensity to engage in inappropriate physical or sexual contact with women and children,” the firm stated in a press release.
At the time of publication, Genesis Health Clubs, which operates six gyms in Johnson County, had not returned the Post’s request for comment about the lawsuit.
Personal trainer is accused of grooming teen
According to the lawsuit, during personal training sessions, the trainer talked with the underage victim about inappropriate subjects, ranging from sex, alcohol, pornographic materials and stripping.
The trainer also sent inappropriate text messages to her, the lawsuit says.
The personal trainer allegedly began heightening the sexual abuse when he touched her genitals during personal training sessions.
He then isolated and sexually abused her multiple times in different settings, including his office, an upstairs room at the gym, in his car and at the victim’s home in Johnson County.
The sexual abuse ended when Genesis Health Clubs terminated his employment.
Prior to his firing, the gym received information that he was abusing another minor, the lawsuit states.
After his firing, the plaintiff disclosed the abuse by the trainer to her therapist and parents.
The lawsuit alleges negligence by the company
The lawsuit accuses Genesis Health Clubs of four different charges, including negligent hiring and negligent supervision of both the employee and his underage trainee.
“During personal training sessions, (Genesis Health Clubs) assumed responsibility for the safety of the minor Plaintiff and had a duty to take reasonable steps to protect her when the custodial circumstances limited her normal opportunities for self-protection,” the lawsuit stated.
Genesis Health Clubs failed to supervise the personal training sessions, including allowing the sessions to occur outside of the view of other employees and in private or secluded areas. The company also allowed the trainer to communicate with the victim using their personal cell phones, the lawsuit says.
The company also failed to train employees to recognize boundary violations and patterns of grooming minors, the lawsuit alleges.
What’s next
The plaintiff is asking for an undetermined amount for damages and costs incurred because of the abuse. They are asking for jury trial.
A case management conference is scheduled in Jackson County Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 23.
