Convicted child rapist arrested for sexual assault of women in 'inclusive' Planet Fitness locker room

A 40-year-old man has been arrested for the sexual assault of two women at a Planet Fitness, the gym franchise that has touted its "inclusive" bathrooms with policies allowing gymgoers to pick and choose which bathroom they use with respect to their "gender identity."

Laquan Holland, 40, was arrested on Thursday after police responded to a call about a sexual assault in progress at a gym in Porter Square, Massachusetts. Holland, who was a member of the gym, entered the women's locker room and began to sexually assault a female member and prevent her from leaving the locker room, police said. A second woman attempted to intervene, and he attacked her as well, according to authorities. One of the victims was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Holland was also known to police, and he previously pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape in 2006, according to the Boston Globe. Holland's membership has since been canceled at the gym, which is located by Lesley University. No students or staff at the college were involved during the incident.

"As an urban campus, Lesley University and our on campus public safety team work with Cambridge Police Department in supporting a safe environment for our students, staff and community in and around our building," the university said in a statement.

Planet Fitness allows gym members to use the locker rooms, bathrooms, and showers "based on their self-reported gender identity," according to their policies.

"I've always felt safe. Now that I've heard that this had happened, I'll definitely have to look behind my back," one gymgoer said about the incident, per CBS News. "Which is not a great feeling. I'm going there to work out, undressing out of my scrubs and get into my workout clothes. I'm definitely going to think about that."

"Planet Fitness is committed to providing a safe environment for all. The franchise group has cancelled the membership of the individual involved and is working with local law enforcement to support their investigation into this matter," the company said.

Planet Fitness has repeatedly received backlash for its policy allowing for trans-identified males into female locker rooms. In 2024, the gym revoked the membership of a woman who blasted a man that she caught shaving in the women's locker room.