D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced Thursday that the District is suing Washington Sports Clubs’ parent company, alleging the gym’s Dupont Circle location failed to follow COVID-19 safety protocols for months and endangered the lives of its members.

The lawsuit, filed in D.C. Superior Court Thursday against New TSI Holdings, Inc., alleges the gym violated the social distancing and mask-wearing mandate stipulated in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s emergency executive order responding to the pandemic.

Under current Phase Two restrictions, gyms cannot exceed 25% of their maximum capacity, must ensure at least 10 feet between patrons and staff, and must require everyone wear masks at all times. But Washington Sports Clubs’ Dupont Circle location failed to do that, the District’s lawsuit lawsuit alleges.

“Patrons of the gym have been observed, on multiple occasions, not wearing masks inside of the Dupont Circle location of the gym,” the lawsuit states. “Washington Sports Club has also failed to comply with social distancing requirements and rules for spacing and cleaning equipment properly.”

A spokesperson for Washington Sports Clubs, which also has locations in Glover Park and Columbia Heights, did not immediately respond to DCist’s request for comment.

The first complaint made to the District came from a resident who observed five people exercising on cardio machines without masks on Jan. 23. When the individual brought the complaint to gym staff, they allegedly said they did not have to enforce mask-wearing when people exercised 12 feet apart.

All subsequent complaints made throughout February by members of the gym alleged people were not wearing masks or social distancing.

“Washington Sports Club has and continues to violate the Emergency Act by failing to comply with the Order and Guidance, and in doing so endangers the health of its staff and patrons, and District residents more broadly, amid the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit adds that Washington Sports Clubs engaged in “unfair and deceptive trade practices” by misrepresenting a safe exercise environment.

The District is calling for an unspecified amount of civil penalties for violating its COVID-19 safety precautions, compensation for attorney fees, and any additional penalties a court deems appropriate.

Washington Sports Clubs was widely criticized last year when locals bashed the gym for not letting them cancel memberships during the pandemic. Some members told DCist the cancellation process was like a “wild-ass goose chase.”

Racine later said the company agreed to stop charging members and credit those who paid fees while the facilities closed during the early stages of the pandemic. D.C. Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order on Sept. 1 barring the gym from collecting fees from customers that canceled their memberships between March 17 and June 22.

Stuart Steinberg, general counsel for Town Sports International, WSC’s parent company, told DCist at the time the company already credited patrons who canceled their membership during those three months.