Another case of sexual assault at a Massage Envy location hit headlines this week. In Scottsdale, Arizona, a massage therapist was arrested after he admitted to inappropriately touching a customer.
This highlights the reality that Massage Envy remains a dangerous place for female clientele. Massage Envy was listed on our 2019 Dirty Dozen List for being a mainstream facilitator of sexual exploitation.
The following is an excerpt from an article originally published by azcentral.com.
A Scottsdale massage therapist was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse after a woman reported he touched her inappropriately during a massage last week, Scottsdale police said.
Though her massage started out as normal, the victim told police when she was face-up on the massage table, the man was massaging her upper thigh when he moved his hand under the sheet toward her genital area, police said.
Massage Envy released a statement, confirming [the massage therapist] has been fired from his position. The statement also said the company does not condone sexual misconduct.
“Massage Envy is committed to promoting a safe environment for members, guests and service providers at each of our 1,200 franchise locations nationwide. We urge anyone who experiences anything other than a safe, quality massage to report it immediately to the franchise location so that it can be investigated.
“We support the decision of any victim to report misconduct, and it is the policy of Massage Envy to require its franchisees to supply any guest who claims to be a victim of sexual misconduct with the contact information of local law enforcement and the state board. As a confidential reporting option to any such guest, franchisees also are required to provide information for RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. The hotline provides an anonymous link to a local sexual assault service provider who is trained to support victims of sexual assault and help them navigate the support, policy, and care that is most effective for them.
“Based on the guidance from leading experts, including RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the US, it is our policy to respect the victim’s privacy and the victim’s right to decide whether they would like to report to law enforcement, the state board, or anyone else. We do require franchisees to report to law enforcement when required by law.”
