Perhaps a fatedly one, perhaps not. I also agree that he should seek the advice of an attorney if he is serious about pursuing the issue. It depends on how you handle this with them. The Corporation does. You may be well within you right of free speech to protest Gold's Gym on this site.
Membership is the same as money.
As with any advise from the net, advise is worth what you paid for it. You may be wise to consult your Attorney. Last week, I signed up a membership with a franchise of Golds Gym. Well 2 days later when I showed up to work out at 5am they where closed. A sign on the window stated that they filed bankruptcy.