SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – San Ramon based 24 Hour Fitness is facing allegations of discriminatory hiring practices and complaints of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks made in the workplace.

At a news conference Thursday, former SF Mayor Willie Brown and former City Attorney Louise Renne announced that they are part of a legal team representing two 24 Hour Fitness managerial employees, Paul Drobot and Reginald Allison. Brown and Renne are calling on the company to clean up what they say are discriminatory practices and to compensate employees whose careers have been affected, “Over the last several years there's been a number of their  employees who have complained," Brown said. "There's clear evidence of hostile conduct, so it warrants some effort to change the practices."

In August 2006, Drobot and Allison filed charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about alleged discriminatory practices dating back to 2003.

Renne notes that according to the charges, management within the company not only refused to address the inappropriate behavior, but eventually retaliated against the employees for having complained, “When these two reported to their immediate supervisor about actions not in keeping with the employee manual, what happened? They got squashed. They got demoted and eventually terminated.”

Following a two-year investigation in September 2008, the EEOC agreed with Drobot and Allison, issuing a determination against 24 Hour Fitness that said the company “retaliated against the class of individuals and subjected them to a hostile work environment.”

In a statement released Thursday, 24 Hour Fitness denied the charges made in the two cases, “We have fully participated in the proceedings sponsored by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and continue to look to the EEOC to help the parties resolve these cases, without the need for litigation.”

Currently the cases are working their way through an informal conciliation process. If no settlement is reached, there is the potential to proceed to litigation if the EEOC issues a letter for the right to sue.

"There is reason to believe that discrimination was taking place in not only hiring but promoting practices as well," Renne said. "These gentlemen suffered as a result of speaking up, and justice needs to be done."

24 Hour Fitness is a national chain of fitness centers that started in San Leandro and is currently headquartered in San Ramon.

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