J.K. Rowling reacts after man allegedly assaults multiple women in "inclusive" locker room, claims what only "evil people predicted" happened "again"

J.K. Rowling has reacted to reports of a man allegedly assaulting multiple women in a Planet Fitness gym. The alleged incident took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday, October 1.

According to NBC10 Boston, multiple women accused a man named Laquan Holland of sexual assault on Thursday. They alleged that he entered the locker room at a Planet Fitness gym in Cambridge and assaulted them. One victim claimed that he allegedly touched her private parts and partially removed her clothes.

The police report that another victim then heard the first woman and tried to help. However, Holland allegedly assaulted her in a similar way as well. Eventually, the gym crew intervened, restrained Holland, and called the authorities.

An outlet, Reduxx, reported that the locker room was deemed "inclusive" at Planet Fitness. J.K. Rowling quoted their report on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, October 5, and wrote:

"The thing that never happens and could never happen and that only evil people predicted would happen has happened again."

The outlet stated that Planet Fitness allows people to access locker rooms “based on their self-reported gender identity.” J.K. Rowling's statement is also relevant here, as she is vocal about women's rights and protection.

Meanwhile, the Planet Fitness in question has released a statement after the incident, writing:

"Planet Fitness is committed to providing a safe environment for all. The franchise group has cancelled the membership of the individual involved and is working with local law enforcement to support their investigation into this matter."

This Planet Fitness is located in the Lesley University building in Cambridge, but it operates independently.

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Planet Fitness attendees and others join J.K. Rowling in sharing their concerns after the alleged assault

After the news broke, many people who attend the Planet Fitness gym in question have spoken about the incident. They expressed concern about their safety and shared their surprise at the alleged assault.

Dr. Yena Do, a regular attendee at the gym, said:

"I've always felt safe. Now that I've heard that this had happened, I'll definitely have to look behind my back, which is not a great feeling. I'm going there to work out, undressing out of my scrubs, getting into my workout clothes. So yeah, I'm definitely going to think about that."

"For every facility where women are undressing, getting ready to work out, we need to feel safe at all times," Do added.

Another attendee of the aforementioned gym, Patrick Harden, said:

"A lot of safety really just kind of depends on people being human about stuff and not being terrible."

Notably, no Lesley University student was involved in the incident, as confirmed by the authorities and the university. However, Sophia Holloway, a freshman at the university, also expressed her concern, with the gym being on the university campus, saying:

"It's horrible. I feel like it's a big tragedy. Everyone should be able to feel safe and secure wherever they are."

Meanwhile, Laquan Holland's arraignment took place on Friday, October 2. He has been charged with two counts of assault to rape, two counts of indecent assault and battery, kidnapping, and witness intimidation. Another hearing is scheduled for October 16, with his lawyer filing a not guilty plea.

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Also Read: “Now we’ve got to go back and educate people”: Stonewall Inn owners accuse JK Rowling of using global platform to harm LGBTQ+ community

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