A recent court ruling sided with the Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) in its legal dispute with the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) regarding the requirement for lifeguards at gym pools. Clark County District Court Judge Timothy Williams dismissed claims by SNHD that LVAC should be required to provide lifeguard supervision in the wake of a drowning incident at one of their locations. News 3 LV reported that the court deemed SNHD's action to categorize LVAC's pools as public, hence mandating lifeguard presence, to be "arbitrarily and capriciously."
It was following the death of Leticia Triplett, a 58-year-old woman who drowned on February 4, 2024, that SNHD ordered LVAC to staff its pools with lifeguards. LVAC's pools were previously operated without in-person lifeguards, based on their status as a private club. According to 8 News Now, Judge Williams referenced Nevada state law defining private pools and concluded that LVAC's facilities fit the private club exemption.
The dispute has raised questions regarding how swimming facilities should be monitored and what constitutes sufficient safety measures to prevent similar tragedies. Despite SNHD's stance that Triplett's death could have been prevented with lifeguard oversight, Judge Williams found the arguments inadequate. "They failed to demonstrate either that these pools pose the same drowning risk as deep-water pools, or that a lifeguard could have prevented Ms. Triplett’s death," Williams wrote, as noted by 8 News Now.
The Southern Nevada Health District has not yet disclosed whether an appeal to the decision is forthcoming. After the legal win, LVAC’s response was not obtained by the time the initial reports were filed. This has left many wondering, including 8 News Now, which did not receive a comment from LVAC by their story deadline, if Las Vegas-area gym pools will continue operating without the now disputed lifeguard requirement. SNHD's policy on refraining from commenting on active legal matters stands.
