US

11 Women Sue Massage Company Over Alleged Sexual Assault During Therapy Sessions

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Eleven women sued Massage Envy over allegedly being sexually assaulted during their therapy sessions by massage therapists, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Several Massage Envy franchises in Florida are hit with a new lawsuit, alleging that therapists sexually assaulted almost a dozen women, according to the Sun Sentinel. The lawsuit includes two women who claim they were abused during a mother-daughter session in May 2017, My Palm Beach Post reported.

The plaintiffs claimed in the lawsuit that they experienced rape, groping and inappropriate touching during their therapy sessions. The lawsuit alleged that Massage Envy protected their therapists from the sexual misconduct allegations through a company policy of telling employees to not go to the police.

“Massage Envy’s policy of telling staff to ‘not go to police’ was singularly designed to continue its profit and protect the brand at the expense of the safety of unsuspecting customers,” the lawsuit stated.

“Massage Envy not only failed to provide basic safety to clients in a most vulnerable setting, but it systemically and intentionally conspired and concealed the rampant problem of massage therapists at Massage Envy franchises,” wrote attorneys Jennifer Lipinski and Brian Kent in the lawsuit.

Lipinski said there are a many other alleged victims, including men.

“Unfortunately, daily we have received more information from women and men who have been assaulted not just in Palm Beach County but throughout the country,” said Lipinski, My Palm Beach Post reported.

A November 2017 BuzzFeed News investigation first brought attention to the sexual misconduct allegations. The report alleged that 180 women across the United States experienced sexual misconduct during their massage therapy sessions at Massage Envy.

“Massage Envy is committed to providing a safe environment for our members, guests and service providers,” said the company’s CEO Joseph C. Magnacca, in a statement from Massage Envy provided for The Daily Caller News Foundation. “One incident is too many, which is why our rigorous Commitment to Safety plan is in place to identify and implement measures that will keep the clients and therapists at Massage Envy franchise locations safe.”

The company also created the “Massage Envy’s Commitment to Safety” in 2017 to better identify sexual misconduct at franchises, a spokesman said in the statement to TheDCNF.