From Hollywood to Washington D.C., sexual harassment allegations have been popping up all over the place lately. Every day it seems someone else is stepping forward with grisly details of a harassment encounter, and businesses, including massage parlors, aren’t immune. Recently, Massage Envy, a chain of “massage spas with almost 1,200 locations across the nation” has found itself of the receiving end of “hundreds of sexual assault complaints and concerns that it ignored or mishandled the allegations.”
From Hollywood to Washington D.C., sexual harassment allegations have been popping up all over the place lately. Every day it seems someone else is stepping forward with grisly details of a harassment encounter, and businesses, including massage parlors, aren’t immune. Recently, Massage Envy, a chain of “massage spas with almost 1,200 locations across the nation” has found itself on the receiving end of “hundreds of sexual assault complaints and concerns that it ignored or mishandled the allegations.”
So far about 180 people have stepped forward and “have filed sexual assault civil suits, police reports, or complaints to state boards against Massage Envy, its franchises, and their employees.” When speaking about the allegations, the massage spa franchise said the incidents were “heartbreaking” and that they “occurred over 15 years among 125 million massages.” However, some claim that the number of incidents is much higher. In fact, lawyers for some of the victims claim “many more people have settled claims outside the courts with no paper trail,” and it’s not uncommon for victims of sexual assault to “file no complaints at all.”
One of the more recent incidents occurred in Clermont, Florida back in May. In a lawsuit filed against the particular franchise owner, a woman claimed: “they failed to protect customers from sexual abuse.” According to the woman, “while she was getting a massage, she was inappropriately touched by her masseuse.” During the incident, she “felt paralyzed and was in shock,” according to the lawsuit.
When speaking about his client’s experience, the woman’s attorney, Adam Horowitz, said:
“He was breathing heavily. He massaged her neck, he moved down both of her arms and (at) that point … groped both of her breasts with his hands. Then, the masseuse had the nerve to ask her what was going through her mind, to which she responded that she wanted to go home.”
In response to that particular lawsuit, Massage Envy issued the following statement:
“Massage Envy Franchising and its franchisees are committed to ensuring guests have a safe and professional experience. We have a clear incident reporting process, we strictly enforce our Code of Conduct and Zero Tolerance Policy, and impose serious consequences for those who violate these policies.”
Clearly, Massage Envy has a problem, but what are it’s policies when it comes to reporting sexual assault or harassment? Why is the number of reports so high? Well, at the moment the franchise “does not compel franchisees to notify police of sexual assault complaints except where such reports are required by local laws. The company requires internal investigations but provides little counsel on how to conduct them.” In fact, in a recent statement to USA TODAY, the company said it “recommends franchisees support and assist clients who choose to report assaults to police.” According to Massage Envy, “the policy is based on consultation with experts who say victims of sexual assault should have the power to decide whether to report the attacks.”
So what do massage parlors like Massage Envy do once a client reports an uncomfortable incident with a massage therapist? Well, in some cases massage therapists will be fired. However, as Horowitz pointed out in a statement earlier this year, “firing massage therapists who have been accused of misconduct, including sexual assault, doesn’t always solve the problem. In fact, many go on to work at other parlors.”
What do you think? Are Massage Envy’s policies helping or hurting victims of sexual harassment and assault?
Sources:
Massage Envy therapists accused of 180 sexual assaults
Lawsuit alleging sexual abuse at Clermont location is the latest complaint against Massage Envy
Woman files lawsuit against owner of massage parlor, alleges abuse
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