Woman Sues Holmdel L.A. Fitness, Says They Downplayed Harassment

HOLMDEL, NJ — A former employee at the Holmdel L.A. Fitness is now suing the gym, saying that a trainer repeatedly sexually harassed her, and once groped her, while she worked there in 2016. However, when she reported the harassment to management, he was simply transferred to another gym, she says.

But the trainer, George Walker of Matawan, was brought back to the gym last spring. He was arrested at the club in July after he allegedly groped a second woman at the gym. A female patron said Walker grabbed her in a private area while she was working out.

Former L.A. Fitness saleswoman Nikki Cordero filed the lawsuit, a copy of which was provided to Patch, against the gym in late January.

Patch first reported on Cordero's allegations last year: In 2016, she worked as a saleswoman at the L.A. Fitness. Walker, 48, worked as the Fitness Director at the gym.

Cordero said that Walker and the gym's general manager created a culture of harassment and fear at the gym, constantly commenting on women's bodies and making remarks on their breasts, buttocks and more. She said she felt so intimidated she started wearing baggy sweaters to work to avoid attention.

On March 27, 2016, she said he told her, "Let me known when you get your toes done so I can suck them." She told him, "No, thank you," and that's when he came up behind her, put his hands around her waist and grabbed her breast. When she pulled away, he allegedly told her "I'm the boss around here! If I didn't like you, you wouldn't be working here."

Cordero said she ran out of the gym, and texted the gym's manager what had happened. She also called her mother, who told her to call Holmdel police. Walker was arrested in his home later that day. Holmdel police charged him with criminal sexual contact, and he was ordered not to talk to Cordero.

Walker was then transferred to the L.A. Fitness in Clark, she said. Cordero said she reported the incident to human resources, but received no follow up.

The case went to court and the charge against Walker ended up being dropped, however.

"We went to court a few times; he got a lawyer, I didn't. We went all the way to trial, but because there was no physical evidence the judge said she had no choice but to let him go," Cordero told Patch last year.

On May 10, 2016 Cordero was fired from the Holmdel L.A. Fitness for "performance-based" issues. She argued the termination was unfair and that she had been sexually assaulted in the workplace, but she said she was told "that situation shouldn't have affected your work."

After she was fired, Walker was then brought back to the Holmdel gym, and worked there for more than a year until the July 2017 incident.

"No one took me seriously and look, it happened again," she said.

As Patch reported, Walker was arrested a second time, this time on Saturday, July 8, 2017 after a female gym patron said he groped her while she was attempting to work out that morning. The woman said Walker made several inappropriate and vulgar comments to her, and then grabbed her in an intimate area. Walker was again charged with criminal sexual contact.

He no longer works at the Holmdel L.A. Fitness.

Cordero is seeking unspecified back pay and damages. The Holmdel LA Fitness referred all calls to their corporate media communications.

Past Patch reporting:

Trainer at Holmdel L.A. Fitness Arrested Before For Groping Woman

Criminal Sexual Contact Arrest At Holmdel L.A. Fitness

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