On Monday, August 27, Massage Envy was hit with the latest in a slew of lawsuits alleging sexual assault by the company's massage therapists. In this latest claim, eleven women allege that they were sexually assaulted during massage appointments in at least five locations throughout the state of Florida. Massage Envy is a billion-dollar company with over 1,200 franchise locations across the United States.
A 168-page complaint was filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court today. In this complaint, attorney Guy D'Andrea alleges that the company was aware of the allegations of sexual assault but intentionally kept this information from law enforcement.
The complaint alleges that Massage Envy "actively sought to conceal the knowledge and danger of customers being sexually assaulted within their business locations by actively preventing sexual assault reports from being reported to law enforcement and/or state massage therapy boards. This is a systemic problem from the top down that is allowing this culture of secrecy with regards to the number of sexual assaults that are happening."
This new lawsuit is far from the first filed against Massage Envy. In a Buzzfeed investigation last year, reporters discovered more than 180 complaints of sexual abuse against the company.
In more recent news, attorneys Guy D'Andrea and Jason Amala filed another sexual assault lawsuit against Massage Envy in California last week. In this lawsuit, five victims allege sexual assault by massage therapists at Massage Envy locations throughout California.
Guy D'Andrea is currently representing victims of Massage Envy sexual assault in active lawsuits in both California and Florida. Here are some of his thoughts on how survivors can find justice:
If you've recently become the victim of sexual assault by a massage therapist, know that the legal system can help you find justice. Reporting the incident to the police is obviously important, but survivors should also consider how they can find justice and financial compensation by filing a lawsuit against a negligent company who failed to prevent sexual assault. To find out more about your legal options, we advise speaking with an experienced sexual assault survivors lawyer.