YMCA Calls Police on Elderly Black Woman Over Chair Dispute with White Classmate

A 72-year-old Black woman, Maria Spooner, is alleging discrimination against her local YMCA after police were summoned when she resisted relocating her seat in a fitness class to accommodate a white participant. On August 18, she arrived early for the group exercise at the South Boston, Virginia, YMCA, claiming a front-row seat. However, a white member soon entered and asserted her claim on the same spot. The ensuing confrontation escalated when the instructor insisted that Spooner move instead of the white woman. Spooner's son, Steven, highlighted the unequal treatment faced by his mother during the incident. Spooner recorded a fifteen-minute Facebook Live video documenting her experience, where she questioned the reasoning behind her enforced relocation. Staff later called the police when she refused to leave, stating she disrupted the class. The YMCA has acknowledged the occurrence, pledging to examine its policies and enhance staff training to prevent future incidents.