A landmark legal settlement has compelled a traditional Korean spa in New Jersey, where nudity is mandatory in certain areas, to grant transgender individuals access to sex-segregated facilities that align with their gender identity, regardless of whether they have undergone genital surgery.
The Lawsuit That Sparked the Change
The case centres on King Spa, located in Palisades Park, which operates similarly to a Korean Jjimjilbang with separate male and female bathing areas. In August 2022, the spa was visited by Alexandra 'Allie' Goebert, a 35-year-old transgender woman and US Army veteran. According to a lawsuit filed by Goebert, she presented a driver's license identifying her as female but was initially given a wristband for the men's locker room.
After complaining to staff, she was temporarily granted access to the women's area. However, the situation escalated when a locker room attendant reported her presence to a manager. The manager, Youn Park, then directly asked Goebert if she still had 'boy parts'. When Goebert confirmed she had not undergone gender-affirming surgery, she was ejected from the female area and told to use the male facilities.
The Legal Outcome and New Policies
Goebert refused, stating she would not feel comfortable in the men's area and did not identify as male. The spa then offered a compromise, suggesting she wear a bathing suit in the women's section, but she declined, asserting that the spa was violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Approximately two weeks after the incident, she filed a formal complaint.
The case, which was headed for a jury trial in August, was ultimately settled. A consent order, reviewed by Reduxx, mandates that King Spa implement new 'gender identity-friendly' policies. This includes effectively eliminating strict sex-segregation so that people of any gender can use all amenities, even if their physical anatomy does not conform to stereotypical expectations.
As part of the settlement, the spa agreed to a confidential financial compensation for Goebert's distress. Furthermore, the ruling requires that every employee must undergo at least one hour of training from an independent consultant specialising in gender identity and expression. King Spa must also update its employee handbook to include a non-discrimination policy that explicitly covers 'sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression'.
A Growing Precedent Across the US
This is not an isolated case. The ruling in New Jersey follows a similar legal outcome in Washington State, where a judge ordered an all-female Korean spa, Olympus Spa, to admit pre-operative transgender women. That case was brought by activist Haven Wilvich after her membership application was declined, with the spa allegedly informing her that 'transgender women without surgery are not welcome'.
Both states have laws that permit transgender individuals to use facilities matching their gender identity. These consecutive legal decisions signal a significant shift in how businesses operating traditional, sex-segregated facilities must navigate and comply with modern anti-discrimination legislation concerning gender identity.
