Mukwonago YMCA

On 2/3/18 my 5-year-old & I were swimming. After about 5 minutes, the lifeguard yelled across the pool that we could not be swimming in the area we were. There weren't any other areas open so we decided to leave. The area that the lifeguard was minimizing us to stay in would mean that 50%+ of the pool was closed. I recommended that if the area was closed like the other areas then it too should be roped off. The lifeguard mumbled under her breath. I closed the locker room door to defuse the situation. I heard the door swing back open and seen the lifeguard standing in the doorway. She rudely informed me that the door must remain open. I asked her to leave the locker room and give me privacy. She again mumbled under her breath, so I again closed the door to defuse the situation. She swung the door back open and blocked me from being able to close the door. I asked her to leave us alone and asked her to get out of my face repeatedly as she stood staring at us. She refused. She then told me that I could have privacy in the bathroom/changing rooms. I asked her repeatedly to leave us alone. She continued to refuse. I yelled at her to leave us alone. She again refused. As we walked to the changing room she stated, “I can see why your son has issues and doesn’t listen.” Then she left the doorway. I walked out of the locker room and asked for her name and told her she had no right to insult my child. I went to the front desk and asked to speak with someone immediately. After waiting for 15 minutes I went back to the front desk and was told that the building manager was on a tour. After I changed my son and I we had to wait another 25 minutes before I got to speak with the manager. The manager then stated that he couldn’t help me and that I would need to fill out a comment card. The building manager told me the lifeguards name was Ashley. I sent in an email complaint to Executive Director, Laurie Schlitt the next day. Today, 2/13 she responded to my BBB complaint stating "there will be no action to reprimand staff or include derogatory remarks on employee files regarding this incident as Ms. Ide was “aggressive and unreasonable." I have since canceled my family membership. Executive Director, Laurie Schlitt did not address my concerns regarding the words or actions of the lifeguard, Ashley, toward my child. She instead placed the blame on me for becoming aggressive and unreasonable, while failing to acknowledge that the lifeguard was out of line. I find it appalling that the Executive Director finds it acceptable for children to be insulted at this facility. It saddens me that the way this facility deals with issues is to blame everything on the member instead of acknowledging the inappropriate actions of their employee. Had I not been harassed by the employee I would not have become aggressive. Had the employee not insulted my child I would not have become unreasonable. The lifeguard had a job to provide a reasonable duty of care and she failed to do so miserably. A reasonable person would have taken a suggestion seriously. A reasonable person would have left a patron alone after being asked the first time. A reasonable person would have respected a patron’s right to 5 minutes of privacy in the locker room. A reasonable person would have never spewed an unfounded insult about a child. A reasonable lifeguard with a duty of care to ensure the safety of others would have never jeopardized the lives of others to leave her assigned post to instigate an argument in the locker room. As an Executive Director, Laurie Schlitt should take complaints seriously instead of blaming everything on a member. I clearly took responsibility for my actions and owned yelling at the lifeguard but I yelled only after the lifeguard overstepped her boundaries in the locker room by insulting my child, invading our privacy and continuing to harass us . I find it sad that Ashley will not be given the opportunity to learn from her behavior, instead, she is being taught that her behavior is unfortunately acceptable, which is wrong on so many levels.