Hedge Fund Manager Assaulted at Gym During Workout

Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Author: New York Post

A hedge fund manager is alleging he suffered a "spine-crushing" attack during a workout session at a New York gym.

The New York Post reported Stuart Sugarman sustained a concussion and back injury when another gym patron assaulted him for grunting and yelling during "spin class"-an indoor cycling workout routine.

The newspaper said Sugarman, 48, would provide running commentary during the class to psych himself up, hollering "Great song!" and "You go, girl!" as he worked out.

"My client was in what is called 'the zone,'" his lawyer told the newspaper.

Classmate Christopher Carter, however, got fed up with Sugarman acting as his own cheering section and told him to stop. When Sugarman refused, Carter, 44, a stockbroker, got off his exercise bike and "charged" into Sugarman like Leonard Marshall of the New York Giants hitting a practice sled," said the lawyer for Sugarman.

Carter then tipped Sugarman and his bike into the wall, the newspaper said.

Sugarman is contending his back injury required surgery and told the newspaper he has no feeling in his left side.

A lawyer for Carter said Sugarman got up and continued his workout after the assault.

"The second thing he does is hire a personal-injury lawyer and the third thing he does is alert the media," the lawyer for Carter said.

Police are investigating the alleged assault. The newspaper did not provide the name of the hedge fund Sugarman managed.