Former Massage Envy worker says male masseuse sexually assaulted her at Webster workplace
WEBSTER, Texas (KTRK) -- A masseuse has filed a civil lawsuit against a fellow masseuse who she said sexually assaulted her during a massage.
The victim, who asked to remain anonymous due to the nature of the situation, works at Massage Envy in Webster. The male masseuse, whom ABC13 isn't identifying because he has yet to be criminally charged, also worked there at the time.
The victim said she knew the man and had no reason to think ill of him before the massage.
"When he did this, I felt betrayed as a friend, that I didn't know this person," the victim said.
During her service, she said he touched her inappropriately.
"Kind of lingered there for what felt like an eternity," the victim said.
She added that it was clearly not an accident, and looking back, she believes it was premeditated to test her boundaries.
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The day after the massage, the victim reported what happened to management, and managers conducted an investigation. According to the victim, the male masseuse was let go over it. She said she was pleased with how quickly the investigation happened.
Following the alleged incident, the lawsuit said the woman learned that the male masseuse had previously worked at the Massage Envy's Kemah location but was let go because of "inappropriate conduct." She also found that other employees at the Webster location had complained about his conduct, saying he gave unwanted hugs and kissed his coworkers on the cheek.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation told ABC13 that they are not aware of any criminal statute or rule mandating massage establishments to report sexual assaults to the agency or law enforcement.
According to the lawsuit, Massage Envy also doesn't require franchisees to report the assaults. Instead, Massage Envy handles claims internally.
"They definitely need to start reporting, not just internally, but externally," the victim explained. "I don't know why they would protect these people who are assaulting their clients that trust Massage Envy."
The victim's attorney, Anna Greenberg, said she had filed six different cases, two from employees and four from customers, against Massage Envy alleging sexual assault.
She said the company has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual assault but describes the policy as being "hollow."
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Greenberg doesn't believe the problem lies in the hiring practices, noting that most of the alleged perpetrators do not have a criminal record. Instead, she said it is all in the way they are supervised.
"When the complaints by multiple clients just keep getting ignored, that's where the problem lies," Greenberg explained. "So, it's important for Massage Envy and the franchises to be paying close attention to what the clients are saying - what the customers are saying about their experience instead of just dismissing it."
The victim in the case has returned to college to pursue another career due to what happened.
"This is prevalent," she explained. "I didn't know that. I'm shocked and saddened that this is happening, and it's a good career that has a lot of good therapists out there. It's giving the industry just a horrible reputation. All of this combined, I'm just very angry and it has taken my peace of mind in this profession and my career."
The victim filed a report with Webster police after the incident claiming that the man would not leave her alone. At the time, she told police she did not want to pursue charges. After learning about other alleged inappropriate behavior at the hand of the same man, the victim decided she did want to move forward criminally.
No charges have yet to be filed at this point.
ABC13 reached out to both the male masseuse and Massage Envy but did not hear back from either.
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