Two women have filed lawsuits against the spa company Massage Envy, claiming they were sexually assaulted by a massage therapist at the chain's location in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood in Dec. 2019.
According to the first lawsuit, the female plaintiff accused the male therapist of "disrobing her, exposing her buttocks and touching her buttocks and genitalia without consent."
In a second lawsuit, another woman accused the same male therapist of "disrobing her, causing her breasts to be exposed and aggressively touching her buttocks without consent."
"I started to notice that where I was getting massaged was getting closer to my genitalia... that was when I froze, because I thought no way this is happening," she stated.
The lawsuits, which were filed by Chicago law firm Levin and Perconti, also name Massage Envy and the location manager, who the plaintiffs allege was aware of the first incident at the time the second incident took place.
"This isn’t just betrayal of trust by the therapist, but also by Massage Envy," said attorney Megan Shore.
When reached by NBC 5, Massage Envy said it couldn't comment on pending allegations or litigation.
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"Massage Envy is committed to promoting a safe environment for members, guests and service providers at each of the over 1,100 franchised locations nationwide. We urge anyone who experiences anything other than a safe, quality massage to report it immediately to the franchised location so that it can be investigated. We cannot comment on pending allegations or litigation involving any independently owned and operated franchised location. For more information please visit the Commitment to Safety section of our website" here.
The Chicago Police Department confirmed it was aware of both incidents.
The first incident, on Dec. 10, remains under investigation, while the second case, on Dec. 27, was closed because the victim decided not to pursue charges.
