When the Rutherford County YMCA of Middle Tennessee installed underwater AI cameras, one member had questions. However, that member, Dru Kaegi, was banned from the facility after he approached YMCA staff and created a petition regarding AI use in the facility.
According to Williamson Source, Kaegi emailed YMCA staff when the AngelEye drowning detection system as installed in 12 pools in October. He also created an online petition, “YMCA AngelEye Privacy Petition,” which gained over 1,200 signatures calling for the YMCA to remove the cameras or pause operation until more member opinions could be heard. Finally, he approached employees with his questions outside the building.
The North Rutherford Family YMCA banned him for these interactions, claiming he violated the member code of conduct.
“They never asked me to take down the petition. They never said, ‘Hey, don’t talk to YMCA members.’ They never said, ‘Dru, we don’t like your tone,'” Kaegi said. “They went straight to kicking me out of the YMCA and calling the police.”
According to WKRN, the YMCA did not press charges against Kaegi, but responding officers informed him that returning to the facility would be trespassing. Kaegi told WKRN that he does not want his membership reinstated.
The YMCA said the cameras do not replace lifeguards, but act as an additional layer of security. The system can connect with lifeguards’ smart watches to alert them when a child has been underwater for an extended period of time.
Kaegi had questions about swimmers’ privacy and how the technology was being used. He wanted to know “how video and other data are stored, who can access them, whether recordings are used to train AI or shared with third parties, and whether members can opt out of being recorded.”
In a statement, a YMCA spokesperson said, “We respect that members may have differing opinions about YMCA policies and business decisions. Constructive feedback is appreciated and we do our best to respond to and address members’ questions. However, all members are expected to abide by the YMCA Member Code of Conduct, which helps ensure a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for everyone – members, staff and guests. As a private organization, the YMCA will suspend or terminate a membership at any time when a member’s actions violate the Member Code of Conduct.”
