State Says Man Has Right to Disrobe in Front of Young Girls in Christian Spa
A legal battle brewing in the Pacific Northwest is fast becoming a flashpoint in the national debate over religious liberty, parental rights, and gender identity—pitting a family-owned Korean spa against state regulators and activists.
The case centers on Olympus Spa, a women-only Korean spa rooted in longstanding cultural traditions that require patrons to be nude while using communal facilities. The Christian immigrant family that owns the spa now faces legal consequences after refusing to admit a biological male who identifies as transgender.
According to the spa’s attorneys, including Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, the issue is not political but deeply personal—and spiritual.
“This is a conservative, Christian-owned, traditional Korean spa,” Dacus said in an interview. “This is a part of the tradition… it’s only women in a women’s Korean spa.”
The controversy began when the man allegedly contacted the business seeking entry. The spa declined, citing concerns about the presence of minor girls and the intimate nature of the facility, where nudity is required.
“There are 13-year-old girls, naked girls with their naked moms, getting treatments and everything in there,” Dacus explained. “Absolutely not.”
The refusal prompted a complaint to the Washington State Human Rights Commission, which ruled against the spa and ordered corrective action. Rather than comply, the owners reportedly chose to shut their doors—at least temporarily—saying they could not violate their religious convictions.
“They said we would rather shut our doors than compromise and do what we know is evil and wrong,” Dacus said.
Now, the case is moving through federal court, with the possibility of reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. The legal argument hinges on constitutional protections, including the Free Exercise Clause and freedom of speech.
“This is a very important case for religious freedom for business owners all across the United States,” Dacus said.
The dispute has also drawn national attention due to a sharply worded dissent from Lawrence VanDyke, who criticized what he described as a disconnect between legal elites and real-world consequences. In his opinion, VanDyke argued that critics were more offended by blunt language than by the implications of allowing biological males into intimate female-only spaces.
“This is a case about swinging d—,” VanDyke wrote. “The Christian owners of Olympus Spa — a traditional Korean, women-only, nude spa — understandably don’t want them in their spa. Their female employees and female clients don’t want them in their spa either. But Washington State insists on them. And now so does the Ninth Circuit.”
Dacus echoed that sentiment.
“You are more concerned about the offensiveness of terminology than you are about the reality of the trauma that’s happening to young teenage girls,” he said, paraphrasing the judge’s argument. “You’re not willing to look at the reality of what you’re advocating.”
Supporters of the spa say the case highlights a growing pattern in which faith-based business owners—especially in blue states—are being forced to choose between compliance and conscience.
“Unfortunately, this is happening in other places across the country,” Dacus warned. “This kind of twisted thinking is something business owners are dealing with nationwide.”
For the Korean family at the center of the controversy, the stakes could not be higher. What began as a local dispute has now evolved into a national legal showdown—one that could redefine the balance between civil rights law and religious freedom in America.
As the case advances, both sides agree on one thing: the outcome will have far-reaching consequences well beyond a single spa in Seattle.
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