Former Columbia Planet Fitness Trainer Faces Civil Lawsuit After Pleading Guilty to Hiding Camera in Tanning Booth

COLUMBIA, Missouri — A former fitness trainer at a mid-Missouri gym is facing a fresh civil legal battle after admitting to secretly recording women in a private changing space. A female employee filed a civil lawsuit on Friday in Boone County Circuit Court against Kenneth Steele, a former personal trainer at the Planet Fitness located on Nifong Boulevard in Columbia. The civil petition accuses Steele of systematic invasion of privacy, tracking back to a disturbing hidden-camera scheme originally uncovered by local law enforcement in 2024.

The legal action follows a criminal conviction earlier this spring involving the same underlying misconduct. On April 6, Steele officially entered a guilty plea to criminal charges of invasion of privacy and was subsequently sentenced to two years of supervised probation. Court records indicate that he had also previously faced an additional charge of third-degree domestic assault. While the criminal judicial process concluded with a probationary sentence, the newly filed civil lawsuit aims to seek financial damages for the severe emotional distress and violation of personal dignity suffered by his targets.

According to the newly filed civil petition, the plaintiff was employed at the Nifong Boulevard fitness center and frequently utilized the facility's tanning booths while she was off-duty. The lawsuit alleges that Steele actively manipulated the gym environment to maximize his illicit filming. Investigative files reveal that Steele hid a recording device inside a wall-mounted towel holder positioned directly inside the private tanning area to secretly capture footage of female patrons and colleagues as they prepared to use the equipment.

The civil petition further claims that Steele went to calculating lengths to ensure women entered the compromised space. He allegedly used targeted phrases to lure specific women into the exact tanning booth where his hidden camera was active, telling victims that they should use that particular room because the tanning bed had just received brand-new lightbulbs. The victim's legal team contends that this intentional deception exacerbates the invasion of privacy, prompting the push for civil accountability. Gym management terminated Steele's employment immediately following the initial discovery, and corporate representatives have emphasized their commitment to maintaining a secure environment for all members and staff.

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