Teenage boy snaps a photo of 32-year-old woman at the gym, she gets him banned for 6 months despite his mother defending his behavior: 'I saw him laughing with his friends'

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Aug 21, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

For many, going to the gym is a chore, but for others it's a way to unwind and relax by letting off some steam. However, one workout aficionada's natural endorphin high got cut short when she realized that a teenage boy had taken a photo of her without her consent. When she confronted him, he laughed it off as a "joke." The situation quickly spiraled after she reported him to the staff and his mom got involved. Instead of being disturbed at her son's behavior, she immediately took his side and started threatening to sue or get police involved. Don't worry – the kid ended up banned from the gym, but our homegirl was left shaken up and wondering if she really did the right thing.

It can be so, so, so difficult to learn how to be assertive, especially in the moment. When I was younger, I was told to "just ignore it" when someone crossed a boundary. But it doesn't really work that way; boundaries only really exist if you are willing to stand your ground and hold them. Whether you're at the gym, on the street, or anywhere else, standing up for yourself against invasive behavior is absolutely not the wrong thing to do!

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  • 01

    AITA for grabbing a teenager's phone after he took a picture of me at the gym?

    Teenage boy taking a photo with his phone
    via Kaboompics.com from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I (32f) was at my local gym last week, finishing up a workout. I headed into the women's locker room to grab my stuff and
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    change. The gym recently started allowing teens in with parental permission, and that day, a group of boys around 16 were hanging out near the entrance, waiting for their moms who were in a Zumba class.
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    Women dancing in a Zumba class at a gym
    via FatCamera from Getty Images Signature

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 05
    As I walked past, one of them made a crude comment and then I heard the shutter sound of a
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    phone camera. I turned around and saw him laughing with his friends-he'd taken a photo of my backside.
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    I walked straight up, grabbed his phone, and told him to delete the photo. He refused, saying it was "just a joke." I wasn't having it. I went to the front desk and reported the incident.
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    His mom was called, and instead of apologizing, she accused me of "manhandling" her son and "violating his privacy." The gym
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    manager reviewed the security footage, which clearly showed him taking the photo, but didn't
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    catch my reaction. Police were called. I was told I could press charges, but the mom threatened to sue me
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431

  • Wow… I would just be so disappointed if this were my son. With a mother like that, it makes sense how he's growing up to be such an entitled kid.

  • 11
    Two women arguing outside
    via princigalli from Getty Images Signature

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    In the end, the gym banned the boy and his friends for six months. But I left feeling shaken and honestly kind of
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    unsupported. When I shared the story online, some people said I should've "just let it go," while others said I did the right thing.
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    My husband thinks I might've overreacted. I don't. I felt violated, and I stood up for myself. But now I'm wondering... AITA?
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431

  • Husband is a pretty big red flag if he seriously thinks that she overreacted…

  • 15
    ArmyGuyinSunland You had every right to be angry. The mom should be ashamed of herself. They should have been banned permanently. End of story.
    via u/ArmyGuyinSunland
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    Jelly-Cupcake8431 OP Thank you. I stood up because I didn't want him thinking it was okay to treat women like that.
    via u/Jelly-Cupcake8431
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    resident910 Honestly, I'd be ped too. That mom is wild for acting like her kid did nothing wrong. Teens taking pics like that is straight- up harassment.
    via u/resident910
  • 18
    gregorychaos F that little creep. And his friends. And his disgusting mom's response.
    via u/gregorychaos
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    You did nothing wrong at all for reacting the way you did. You didn't do a thing to him. If he had just deleted it and apologized there probably wouldn't have. even been a big issue.
    via u/gregorychaos
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    Sad_Kaleidoscope_743 Technically, its legal to take photos in public. However, it is not legal to grab someones
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    phone from them. On top of that, he's a minor. He might be an a , but it is not illegal to take pics. Best you can do is ban him from the business.
    via u/Sad_Kaleidoscope_743
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    Man taking a picture with a camera
    via OSORIOartist from Getty Images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 23
    lovinglifeatmyage It's s sad shame they didn't ban the mum as well. I'd be mortified if my son did something like that. With a mother like her, no wonder he's so entitled and unpleasant
    via u/lovinglifeatmyage
  • 24
    SoDak2022 What's up with husbands who say "just let it go"? I would never in a million years tamp down her feelings, especially if she felt like she was violated.
    via u/SoDak2022
  • 25
    NoMechanic7021 You handled the situation just fine, I would have pushed to have the mother banned as well.
    via u/NoMechanic7021
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    But to feel unsupported seems like the overreaction. Like what else do you want to happen? Take him to court for a photo? You handled the situation, now let it
    via u/NoMechanic7021
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    go. Go back to enjoying your life, that situation was not a big enough deal to continue worrying about. You most likely won't be seeing that little sh again.
    via u/NoMechanic7021
  • 28
    Bearliz NTA. Parents should be with the kids at all times if they are going to be let in. Hopefully, the picture
    via u/Bearliz
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    was deleted completely. How many others did he take pictures of previously. That picture would have been passed around and posted on the internet.
    via u/Bearliz

Tags

entitled parents gym workout Female Empowerment teenagers parenting feminism raising teens Reddit raising kids Parenting Fail parents entitled people
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