One woman was told to leave the gym because her workout clothes - on a hot day - allegedly showed "too much skin".
Twenty-seven-year-old Gabi Watson from Sydney subsequently took to Instagram to reveal what had happened to her, writing: "Hi everyone. Today I was asked to leave my gym and 'change' (*flashback to church camp*) because a school teacher (who was supervising teenage students) had a problem with this outfit and complained."
She continued: "It's a hot day, the air con was not on, but apparently this government teacher was concerned about the children seeing so much skin.
"What follows is my complaint email to the principal of the school in question, which outlines the significant issues with such a request."
Gabi then shared the email that she sent to the principle on her Instagram stories.
She explained in the letter that she too is a client of the North Shore gym, like the pupils at the high school, and that she found the teacher's behavior towards her unacceptable.
"I am a 27-year-old female and I'm also a powerlifter. This afternoon, as I was deadlifting, I was called over by the gym owner and told that your teacher had asked me to not be allowed to work out in front of your teenage students, due to the shorts I was wearing," she wrote.
She explained that because of the nature of the exercise she was doing, she needed "fitted and stretchy clothes".
"Nevertheless, due [to] the complaint of your teacher, I was asked to leave and change my outfit," Gabi said.
She continued: "As I am not in any way affiliated with, or a representative of your school, I am horrified that your school has sway over the clothing choices (and freedom to exercise) of an independent adult woman."
"Moreover, your school is perpetuating values (with real-life consequences) that are demonstrably harmful."
She wrote: "Namely, that we live in a world where 14-year-old boys are given priority over women. Where women are punished for boy's and men's propensity for objectifying women."
"As a government institution, what right do you have to be representing such values?
"I would like to reiterate that the outfit I was wearing today was in no way gratuitous. It was very appropriate for the situation and violated no dress codes.
"I have worn such outfits at many gyms and never had a single complaint.
"It is discouraging that this particular complaint came from a person charged with molding our next generation into well-rounded adults; ones who respect women and shun rape culture," she finished.
Gabi wrote in another Instagram story: "I absolutely should have added that if that teacher's goal was to teach her female students to be ashamed of ever showing their bodies (even in the pursuit of activities that are healthy for mind and body) then she did an awesome job, by publicly shaming me in front of them."
Replying to a direct message about the incident, Gabi said she told the manager at the gym and they said: "Well I wouldn't want my daughter wearing something like that, I'm sure you understand."
To which the person she was responding to said: "I wouldn't want my daughter being told what to wear by a stranger, sure you understand mate."
Other social media users then questioned how they could support Gabi with her complaint about the incident and she told them that the best course of action was to contact the NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood, Sarah Mitchell.
Gabi said that while, in an ideal world, the gym owners should have stuck up for her, she doesn't want to incite a social media pile-on against them as she knows they are good people.
