A Plainfield woman claims a therapist groped her breasts during a massage at a west suburban spa in May 2013.
The woman had a 10 a.m. appointment for a two-hour treatment at Massage Envy, 2775 Showplace Drive in Naperville, with a male massage therapist, according to a lawsuit filed last Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court.
The therapist told her to take off her bra, and about halfway through the massage he began “cupping her breasts” and touching her inappropriately, the suit alleges.
When the woman pulled up a sheet to cover herself, the man said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be doing that,” the suit claims.
A spokeswoman for Massage Envy, a franchising corporation based in Delaware, provided a written statement that the man “is no longer employed by our franchisee, and our systems will prevent him from ever being employed by another Massage Envy Spa franchise.”
“We are dismayed that the therapist involved in this incident violated our Code of Conduct, which is the foundation of our commitment to ensure our guests have a safe and professional experience when they visit our franchises,” according to the statement.
The 20-count battery suit names Massage Envy, the massage therapist and franchise manager as defendants, and seeks at least $1 million in damages in addition to court costs.
