Woman claims assault at Planet Fitness

PERKINS TWP. — In a Facebook post gone viral, a Sandusky woman relived a harrowing incident at a local gym, claiming multiple people, including an employee, "smacked her on the buttocks."As of Saturday night, more than 600 people shared the post made on Kayla (Makayla) Mullins Fraser's page published earlier that morning. A Perkins police report, meanwhile, provides a second account of what happened.The Register normally does not name victims in assault-related cases, especially when a suspect isn't charged. But the newspaper made an exception in this instance because of the overwhelming attention given to Fraser's post.Just after 9 a.m. Saturday, an officer arrived to the Planet Fitness on Milan Road (U.S. 250) in the Sandusky Mall property.Planet Fitness in Perkins Township on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017. It's at this location where a local woman, Kayla (Makayla) Mullins Fraser, claims she was assaulted on Friday night.Inside the gym, Officer Stephanie Chapman spoke with Fraser, who recounted what happened one night prior.At about 8:30 p.m. Friday, Fraser began filling out paperwork to use a tanning bed. It's at this point an employee "smacked her on the buttocks with an open hand," according to Chapman's report.Fraser told the worker he hurt her and to never touch her again.But the employee dismissed her concerns, even making a joke about him "leaving a handprint on Makayla's buttocks," the report read.After his comment, she was allegedly assaulted again."Makayla then felt her buttocks being smacked two more times, however, Makayla was still facing the counter and did not turn around fast enough to see who had hit her," the report indicated, adding how several people were standing behind her. It appears several people within this group began laughing and continued joking about what happened.Kayla Mullins Fraser posted this picture of herself on her Facebook account that was paired with her account of being assaulted Friday night at Planet Fitness on Milan Road (U.S. 250) in Perkins Township. Fraser claimed multiple people "smacked her on the buttocks with an open hand."Fraser's husband called authorities on Saturday morning, but she didn't want to pursue charges against anyone. Chapman wanted to review security footage recording what transpired, but the technology inexplicably malfunctioned, making this incident unavailable to watch.Chapman then spoke with two other people:• She met up with the gym's manager, who said the employee striking Fraser no longer works there — his last day was Friday — and added how, "There is no chance that he will ever be hired back."• Just before 3:30 p.m Saturday, Chapman called the employee who allegedly smacked Fraser. The man, who was not charged, profusely apologized and called his actions innocent.But that's no excuse, according to Fraser, who called Planet Fitness her "safe place, where I go to release my stress and better myself." Fraser wrote how she won't work out there anymore."I begin to think maybe if my shorts weren't so tight it wouldn't have happened. I begin to blame myself, feeling guilty, even though I did absolutely nothing wrong. Maybe I was too friendly, making the worker think doing something like this is OK," Fraser wrote. "This is what it feels like to be the victim of a joke that isn't funny."She continued: "Yes, there is a handprint left on my behind. Yes, it still hurts this morning and is a reminder of the shock and embarrassment and nauseousness from (Friday). So, for now, working out isn't my safe place anymore."Fraser ended the post by writing: "I'm sorry, but I don't get the joke. Women should not, and cannot, be treated this way."