Boxing may be a popular way to work on physical fitness, but the Greater Scranton YMCA in Pennsylvania doesn’t want fights breaking out in its workout areas and locker rooms. To that end, the Y won’t allow members to watch 24-hour cable news channels anymore.

The new policy went into effect this week following increasing complaints about political arguments at the facility.

“I wish I could say that all members are able to have open and nonthreatening debate around current topics, but that is not the case,” CEO Trish Fisher wrote in a notice posted Tuesday in the building’s main lobby. “There have been several instances in which a member has felt threatened. It is not about bias, or individual views, but rather safety.”

"I've been here three years now and I really didn't hear much about this until six months ago. So, we just want people to feel welcome here and I think this might help," Fisher told WNEP, Moosic, Pennsylvania.

Fisher said the cable news channels — CNN, Fox News and MSNBC — were sparking arguments, some of which escalated to threats. Local news is still permitted, as well as ESPN and the Weather Channel.

"There was one [fight] that was broken up by another member that was just about ready to go physical and we've had members step forward saying they've felt a little uncomfortable about the arguments that were going on over the politics," Fisher told WBRE/WYOU, Wilkes-Barre.

Y member Frank Swaha said he doesn’t think people should be watching television while working out anyway.

“You should be here to work out, get healthy, and enjoy yourself with fitness, not be worrying about what's on the news,” he told WNEP.

Chris Wagner agreed.

"We come here to get de-stressed and we're totally stressed out in this country right now!" member Chris Wagner told WBRE/WYOU.

But longtime member Paul Williams, 72, of Clarks Green, told the Citizens Voice he did not like the ban, despite the tail end of an argument he witnessed last week over which was more believable, CNN or Fox. He said the language became “colorful.”

“Once you start that precedent, I think it becomes dangerous,” Williams said of the ban.

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