Defiant owner’s “no mask” yoga leads San Mateo County to sue Pacifica Studio

San Mateo County has filed a lawsuit against Pacifica Beach Yoga for violating public health orders, the county’s toughest action against companies that break pandemic safety rules.

The county claimed in the lawsuit that owner Tommy Antoon blatantly refused to comply with various health orders for months and offered yoga classes “without a mask” indoors, sometimes up to three times a day. All in-house gyms, gyms and yoga studios are expected to close in areas covered by current state residence orders, imposed after COVID-19 cases threatened to flood state hospitals.

The complaint filed with the San Mateo County Superior Court also said that Antoon did not require employees and customers to wear facial covers and observe other security protocols, and declined requests from county officials to voluntarily follow public health orders.

According to the lawsuit, on January 5, Antoon told a county official “I will never close” and profanely rejected the quotes he had received, saying he would never pay them.

At a hearing on Thursday, Judge Danny Chou granted the county’s request for a temporary restraining order to force Pacifica Beach Yoga to close immediately. A hearing is scheduled for February 4 and the court will assess whether the injunction is necessary.

“This deal left us no choice,” San Mateo County attorney John Beiers said in a statement. “Our community rightly expects that when the state government enforces shelter laws in place, these laws will be applied fairly and equitably to ensure that everyone abides by the same rules.”

Pacifica Beach Yoga did not respond to requests for comment. Posts on the studio’s Instagram page announced classes until Saturday, January 16. One post described the classes as “without a mask, without fear”.

Since the end of October, there have been 26 complaints against Pacifica Beach Yoga, alleging health violations, according to the county’s Business Compliance Team, an enforcement group formed in November. Until January 5, the unit had received 1,065 complaints against companies, of which 72% were shot down. He issued 100 written warnings and 22 citations, county officials previously told The Chronicle.

So far, at least nine companies have been fined for repeat offenders of home stay orders since the county began tracking violations in November. They include a bar, a beauty salon, a gas station and several gyms, among others. The Pacifica yoga studio was among them.

Fines against Pacifica Beach Yoga totaled $ 3,750, including a $ 250 fine in November for advertising “maskless” hot yoga and another $ 500 fine in December for operating indoors.

“We have a simple and clear message here in San Mateo County: wear your damn mask,” said David Canepa, chairman of the county’s Board of Supervisors, in a statement. “It’s not about you. It’s about everyone around you, including your friends, loved ones and the people you don’t even know with whom you come in contact.”