New Jersey Gym Reopens, Co-Owners Cited For Violating Stay-At-Home Order

A gym in Camden County, New Jersey directly violated Governor Phil Murphy's stay-at-home order by reopening its facility and drawing supporters who cheered the owners despite their defiance.

The Atilis Gym in Bellmawr opened its doors at 8:00 a.m. after two months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the state's orders in pursuant of national and global guidelines to curb the spread of the virus.

Gym owners Frank Trumbetti and Ian Smith were issued with court summons as a result of their violations. Despite the citation, the gym remained open for the rest of the day, while protesters who waited for hours outside the gym finally dispersed when authorities intervened.

CBS Philly said the owners were “not concerned” about the summons and that they knew “they were starting a fight” when they decided to reopen their gym.

“Everything we're doing is constitutional and it's our rights and we've not broken any laws and an executive order isn't a law anyway,” Trumbetti told the outlet.

The co-owners' lawyer, Mermigis Law Group's Kevin Barry drafted a letter and sent it to the governor, describing the current state of New Jersey amid the COVID-19 pandemic as “draconian and unconstitutional.” The letter also pointed that several non-essential business have already resumed their operations.

Trumbetti and Smith announced their plan to reopen their gym by posting a pair of videos on their Facebook page.

“We are proposing an organized peaceful reopening of our state, not just our business. We truly believe that if we don't do this, in the end, we'll have zero rights and no say in what happens,” said CBS News, citing a statement from Trumbetti.

Governor Murphy on the other hand responded to the reopening, saying that “they're out of compliance and that's not going to be tolerated.”

The gym's social media page also posted their planned rules in preparation for its “safe, smooth reopening.” These include the facility operating at 20% capacity and will only allow members inside the gym. Members will also be required to wear their face masks at all times unless they “are in the middle” of their sets.

Temperature checks will also be taken at the door, while showers and lockers remain off-limits. The gym will not allow the sharing of equipment such as mats, belts and chalk and advised their patrons to bring their own.