A New Hampshire woman says Planet Fitness canceled her membership after she complained about seeing a man in the women’s locker room last month.

Judy Walcott, a longtime member of a Planet Fitness location in Concord, New Hampshire, told Fox News Digital she felt unsafe after encountering someone she believed was male in the women’s locker room near the shower area on April 11.

“I was shaking. Like I was actually trembling because it freaked me out that bad,” she told Fox News Digital.

Walcott said she reported the incident to a young employee at the front desk, who told her there was nothing staff could do because it was company policy. She claims the employee did not check the locker room while she was present.

She said she raised the issue again, four days later, with another staff member because she had safety concerns, but she said the employee called her “transphobic” instead of looking into her claims.

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“She showed concern until I started telling her that there was a creepy guy in the ladies’ shower on Saturday, nobody checked him out… then before I could say anything else, she interrupted me, telling me she ‘thought’ she knew who I meant and what a wonderful woman that is,” Walcott told Fox News Digital.

She said the conversation went downhill from there, alleging the staff member did not address her concerns and instead “repeatedly” called her “transphobic” before she decided to walk away.

A couple of hours later, Walcott said, the gym’s manager called her to tell her that her membership had been canceled for a “policy violation.”

“So I asked her what policy did I violate? I didn’t violate a policy, I asked about one. She didn’t answer me,” Walcott said.

Walcott said she later checked her account online and saw that she had been charged for another month. She also said she found a “Member cancellation or freeze form” in her account that requested cancellation, dated April 15.

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A copy of that document, which Fox News Digital cannot authenticate, shows an April 15 cancellation request with a request effective date of May 16. In the comment field, the form says, “Nondiscrimination Trans.”

Walcott alleged the cancellation form was submitted without her authorization and said she believes her signature was forged.

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Walcott said that after seeing she had been charged for an additional month in the days following this incident, she returned to the gym on April 17 to use the remainder of her membership. She said the manager again told her the membership had been canceled, and the two argued over whether she was owed a refund.

Walcott claims the manager told her she was “not getting a refund” before calling the police.

When officers with the Concord Police Department arrived, Walcott was given a warning not to trespass on the property.

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“So she takes a form, signs my name, charges me money, extends my membership, and then calls the cops on me. Like, what the hell? I feel like I live in an upside-down land,” Walcott said.

A copy of the document, labeled “order to stay off property” and reviewed by Fox News Digital, appears to show an officer’s signature, the gym location and an April 17 date.

Concord Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that Walcott “was formally trespassed from Planet Fitness, 89 Fort Eddy Rd” on April 17.

Walcott said that a few days before the incident she had emailed Planet Fitness headquarters asking about its transgender policy but said she received no response. 

She has since reached out to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office to report the incident and intends to file a consumer complaint.

Walcott says she’s speaking out because she believes the Planet Fitness policy is unfair to women.

“What does it take? Are we being sacrificed in the name of inclusion?” she asked.

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Planet Fitness says on its website that members who identify as transgender “may use Planet Fitness locker room facilities, bathrooms, showers, and all other facilities/programs separated by sex based on their self-reported gender identity; these facilities include bathrooms, showers, and all other facilities separated by sex. Wherever possible, Planet Fitness clubs should maintain private changing areas in each locker room for the comfort of all members and team members.”

The company also says it aims to provide an “inclusive gym environment” where members feel they belong.

Planet Fitness corporate headquarters did not respond to multiple phone calls and emails from Fox News Digital requesting comment.

Amid the current hantavirus outbreak that started on the MV Hondius cruise ship as it sailed across the Atlantic, health experts are now examining whether Americans may be encountering the virus in everyday places without realizing it.

The rare Andes strain, which was linked to the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only known hantavirus that has the capability to spread from person to person, usually through prolonged close contact with an infected person.

Most cases of hantavirus in the U.S. occur in the desert southwest and on the west coast, according to Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann in the Houston area.

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“In Texas, cases are mostly seen on the west side of the state,” she told Fox News Digital. “The strain of hantavirus native to east Texas and west Louisiana, the Bayou strain, is not as infectious in humans as the western strain, the Sin Nombre strain.”

Hantavirus is mainly spread through contact with infected rodents – primarily deer mice – and their urine, droppings or saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

People can become infected after breathing in contaminated particles that are stirred into the air or touching contaminated surfaces and then touching their nose or mouth. More rarely, rodent bites can spread the virus.

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Exposure is most likely when cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated areas where rodents may nest unnoticed for weeks or months, health officials say.

Risky locations can include garages, sheds, cabins, attics, barns and crawl spaces. Storage units, stables, kitchen cabinets, and spaces behind appliances if rodents are present.

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Rodents can also nest in unused cars, RVs, campers and boats, which can be sources of exposure when reopened.

The National Park Service says that most human cases of hantavirus occur in the spring and are linked to buildings that become heavily infested with rodents over the winter.

“Most people are exposed when cleaning out sheds and garages where rodents have been living,” Yancey confirmed. “You can be exposed by just the dust and droppings left behind by rodents – you don’t even need to even see the rodent to be exposed.”

The risk of inhalation is also higher when opening buildings that have gone unused for longer periods of time, sweeping dusty floors, or moving and unpacking boxes, experts cautioned.

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Rodent exposure is not limited to buildings. Health officials say people can also encounter hantavirus risk while handling firewood, working in rodent-prone outdoor areas, or disturbing rodent nests and burrows. 

To prevent infection, if cleaning a structure that might have harbored rodents, Yancey recommends wearing a mask and using a diluted bleach solution to wet down any dust or loose debris.

“This will help kill the exposed virus and reduce the amount of infectious dust,” Yancey said.

The CDC advises against vacuuming or sweeping rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials, as this can aerosolize the virus and increase the risk of inhalation.

Instead, health officials recommend wearing gloves, soaking rodent droppings with disinfectant, wiping them up with paper towels, properly disposing of waste and thoroughly cleaning surfaces, followed by careful handwashing.

Some signs of rodent activity can include droppings, shredded nesting materials, gnaw marks, strong musky odors and scratching sounds in the walls or ceilings, according to public health guidance.

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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, emphasized that hantavirus is not something that most Americans encounter in daily life, and is more prominent in certain parts of Europe and Asia.

“It is very rare in the U.S. and is seen out west, but rarely,” he told Fox News Digital. “We need to avoid overpersonalizing the risk of a very rare virus.”

If you bought a newer iPhone because Apple made Siri sound like it was about to become your personal artificial intelligence sidekick, you may want to pay attention.

Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that it misled customers about new Apple Intelligence and Siri features. The case centers on the iPhone 16 launch and certain iPhone 15 models that were marketed as ready for Apple’s next wave of AI. The settlement still needs court approval, and Apple denies wrongdoing.

The lawsuit argues that Apple promoted a smarter, more personal Siri before those features were actually available. For some buyers, that was a big deal. A new iPhone can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people upgrade only when they think they are getting something meaningfully new.

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Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in June 2024 and promoted it as a major step forward for iPhone, iPad and Mac. A key part of that pitch was a more personalized Siri that could understand context, work across apps and help with everyday tasks in a more useful way.

The lawsuit claims Apple’s marketing made consumers believe those advanced Siri features would arrive with the iPhone 16 or soon after. Instead, buyers received phones that had some Apple Intelligence tools, but not the full Siri overhaul that many expected.

That gap is the heart of the case. Plaintiffs say customers bought or upgraded devices based on AI features that were not ready. Apple says it has rolled out many Apple Intelligence features and settled the case, so it can stay focused on its products. 

The proposed settlement creates a $250 million fund. Eligible customers who file approved claims are expected to receive at least $25 per eligible device. That amount could rise to as much as $95 per device, depending on how many people file claims and other settlement factors.

That means this will not be a huge payday for most people. Still, if you bought one of the covered phones, it may be worth watching for a claim notice. A few minutes of paperwork could put some money back in your pocket.

The proposed settlement covers U.S. buyers who purchased any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.

Covered iPhone 16 models include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e. The settlement also includes the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not every iPhone 15 model.

The key details are the device model, the purchase date and whether the phone was bought in the United States.

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You do not need to do anything immediately. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval. Once the claims process opens, eligible customers are expected to receive a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to file through a settlement website.

That notice matters because scammers love moments like this. A real settlement notice should not ask for your Apple ID password, bank login or payment to claim your money. If you receive a message about this settlement, do not click blindly. Go slowly, check the sender and look for the official settlement administrator details once they are available.

This case hits a bigger nerve. Tech companies are racing to sell AI as the next must-have feature. That creates a problem for shoppers. You are often asked to buy now based on what a company says will arrive later.

That can be frustrating when the feature is the reason you upgraded. A smarter Siri sounds useful. A phone that can understand your personal context, search across apps and help with daily tasks could save time. But if those tools are delayed, limited or missing, the value of the upgrade changes.

This settlement also sends a message about AI marketing. Companies can talk about future features, but consumers need clear timing and plain explanations. “Coming soon” can mean very different things when you are spending $800, $1,000 or more.

We reached out to Apple for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.

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If you bought a covered iPhone during the settlement period, keep an eye on your email and regular mail. You may qualify for a payment if the court approves the deal.

You should also keep your receipt or proof of purchase if you have it. Your Apple purchase history, carrier account or retailer receipt may help if the claim process asks for details.

More broadly, this is a reminder to treat AI features like any other big tech promise. Before you upgrade, ask one simple question: Can the feature do what is being advertised today, or is the company asking me to wait?

That question can save you from buying a device for a future feature that may arrive much later than expected.

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Apple has built its brand on making technology feel polished, personal and easy to use. That is why this Siri settlement hits a nerve. People were buying phones they use every day for texts, photos, directions, reminders and everything in between. Many expected AI to make those everyday tasks easier, which is why the delay felt frustrating. The proposed payout may be modest, but the bigger issue is trust. When a company sells AI as a reason to upgrade, customers deserve to know what actually works now and what is still coming later.

Would you still buy a new phone for promised AI features, or would you wait until they actually show up? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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