A 28-year-old woman has sued a Venice massage business, alleging she was inappropriately touched by a therapist after she went there for a hot stone massage in 2021.
The plaintiff, identified only as Jane P. in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against Spa Soleil Massage, alleges sexual assault, battery, negligence, sexual battery gender violence, civil rights violations and negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention, court officials said this week. The plaintiff seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Jane P. booked a Swedish, hot stone massage at the business last March 28 and was assigned a massage therapist, the suit states. "What happened next was every woman's nightmare," the suit alleges.
Jane P.'s massage turned traumatic when the therapist touched her inappropriately while she was undressed on the massage table, the suit states. The therapist eventually left, leaving Jane P. "shaking from head to toe," according to the suit.
When Jane P. later told the spa manager what happened, he acted more concerned about the business' reputation than for her well-being, the suit states.
The manager knew that other Spa Soleil Massage clients had been touched inappropriately during massages because of negative reviews they had written on the social media, the suit states.
"When a woman gets a massage, she is in a very vulnerable position -- in a small room, with the door closed, naked and alone with the massage therapist who is often a man," plaintiff's attorney Laura Edidin said.
"Our client hopes to keep other women safe by holding this massage therapist and spa accountable while also drawing attention to the serious public safety issue of sexual assault in the massage setting," she added.
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