French Sports Club Shut Down for Gender Segregation, Veiled Women-Only Rooms
French authorities closed a sports association in a Parisian suburb for religious separatism, citing gender-segregated sessions for veiled women in public facilities and its banned founder.
The prefect of Hauts-de-Seine, Alexandre Brugère, issued an administrative closure order on May 12 targeting the sports association known as “Les Héros,” according to Valeurs Actuelles. While the official order cites administrative irregularities and concerns about the organization’s leadership, authorities also suspect the group of engaging in practices that amount to religious separatism.
The founder and sole instructor of the association, Nourdine Z., is reportedly banned from holding supervisory positions in the sports sector. Despite multiple prior convictions, he continued operating the structure in violation of these restrictions, prefectural documents reveal.
Authorities focused particular attention on activities deemed contrary to the principles of the republican engagement contract that the association had signed. In correspondence to members of “Les Héros,” Brugère specifically cited the establishment of time slots exclusively reserved for women for certain sporting activities.
Veiled Women Given Exclusive Access to Public Facilities
State services suspect the association organized gender-segregated sports sessions intended for women wearing Islamic veils. A municipal weight training room was allegedly privatized several afternoons per week, and specific time slots were also reserved at a municipal swimming pool.
In his letter, the prefect emphasized that respect for the principles of secularism, equality, and non-discrimination constitutes a binding obligation for associations benefiting from public facilities. He further underscored that reserving time slots based on religious affiliation is prohibited in public infrastructure open to the general public.
Part of Broader Crackdown on Islamist Influence
Since taking leadership of the Hauts-de-Seine prefecture, Brugère has intensified operations targeting structures suspected of Islamist or communitarian drift. In late 2025, he oversaw the closure of a rigorist Koranic school in Colombes as part of the dismantling of a local religious influence network.
The case highlights growing tensions in France between religious accommodation demands and the country’s strict secularism laws, which prohibit religious considerations in the management of public spaces and services.
With information from Valeurs Actuelles
