A Manhattan federal jury has awarded former fitness executive Röbynn Europe more than $11.25 million after finding that luxury fitness company Equinox Holdings subjected her to a hostile work environment and unlawfully terminated her based on race and gender.
The verdict, delivered in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, represents one of the more significant employment discrimination awards in recent years and sends a strong message about corporate accountability in workplace harassment and discrimination cases.
Europe, a former professional bodybuilder, worked as a manager of personal trainers at an Equinox location on Manhattan’s Upper East Side between 2018 and 2019. According to evidence presented at trial, she alleged that she endured racist and sexist conduct from colleagues and that company leadership repeatedly failed to investigate or address her complaints.
Equinox maintained that Europe was terminated because she had been late to work 47 times over a 10-month period. Europe, however, argued that the attendance issue was merely a pretext used to justify discrimination and retaliation.
After hearing testimony, a jury consisting of five women and three men sided with Europe, concluding that the company had created and tolerated a hostile work environment and unlawfully fired her because of her race and gender.
The day after finding Equinox liable, jurors awarded Europe $1.25 million in compensatory damages for emotional distress and $10 million in punitive damages. The parties had previously agreed to an additional $16,000 in back pay, bringing the total judgment to approximately $11.266 million.
During the damages phase of the trial, Europe testified that the alleged workplace discrimination exacerbated her long-standing struggle with bulimia, an eating disorder she had experienced since high school. She told jurors that the stress and emotional toll of the workplace environment caused a significant deterioration in her mental health and ultimately required intensive treatment.
The lawsuit alleged that Equinox failed to investigate complaints involving racist remarks and sexually inappropriate behavior at its East 92nd Street facility. Europe contended that management ignored repeated warnings about the workplace culture before ultimately targeting her for dismissal.
Her attorney, Susan Crumiller, praised the verdict as a landmark rebuke of workplace discrimination.
“We could not be more thrilled with today’s jury award,” Crumiller said in a statement. “The jury sent a loud message to Equinox that there are serious consequences for corporations that permit racist and sexist behavior in the workplace.”
She added that the verdict recognized the severe impact the alleged discrimination had on Europe’s mental health and should serve as a warning to employers that workplace harassment cannot simply be ignored or concealed.
The case, Europe v. Equinox Holdings, Inc., was tried in the Southern District of New York under Case No. 1:20-cv-07787.
Employment law experts note that while punitive damage awards of this size are uncommon, juries may impose substantial penalties when they conclude that an employer acted with reckless indifference to an employee’s federally protected civil rights. The verdict also highlights the growing willingness of juries to consider the psychological and emotional consequences of workplace discrimination when determining damages.
Equinox has not publicly announced whether it plans to challenge the verdict through post-trial motions or appeal.
