A Latino civil rights group says the employees of an international gym chain suffered racial and gender discrimination at its gyms around California.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Alameda County Superior Court against 24 Hour Fitness. The group is seeking class-action status for the lawsuit.

It claims that Latino, black, Asian and female employees hit a glass ceiling when they applied for managerial positions at some of the chain’s approximately 200 California fitness clubs.

The chain has about 400 clubs in 17 states, as well as several locations in Asia.

The case seeks lost wages and unspecified punitive damages.

The company denied the allegations and says it expects to prevail in court.

Abington IP, a Tulsa-based law firm specializing in Intellectual Property Law and Consumer Class Actions, is investigating the possibility of a class action lawsuit in regards to Microsoft’s recent banning of thousands of modified Xbox 360 consoles.  Typically, consoles are modified or “modded” in order to play games without legally owning a copy.  Once banned, the consoles are no longer able to connect to Xbox Live to play games online.

Of course, a law firm suing a major corporation is not news; however, their reasoning in the suit is unique.  Abington IP is suggesting that Microsoft timed the bannings after the releases of two major online games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3: ODST; games likely to generate increased revenue in Xbox Live subscriptions.  Apparently, users are still able to connect to Xbox Live using their subscription, just not with the banned consoles.

The reality is that anyone modifying their console for illegal uses knows the associated risks (read: getting banned).  Hopefully the lawsuit fizzles out.