Massage Chain Changes Sex Misconduct Policy After Investigation

NEW YORK, NY — Massage Envy, the country’s largest massage therapy chain, announced sweeping changes to how it will handle sexual misconduct allegations after an investigation by BuzzFeed News discovered reports of abuse were rampant. It found 180 women have filed sexual assault lawsuits, police reports and other complaints against Massage Envy outposts, employees and the national company.

“While we believe the BuzzFeed story did misrepresent our brand, it also gave us new perspective on these issues, and led us to look carefully at how we can do more," the company's general counsel told reporters on a conference call Tuesday. "The Commitment to Safety plan we announced this morning is the outcome of that work.”

If a client reports sexual assault, Massage Envy will now require employees at its 1,200 locations to offer local law enforcement contact information and a private room for the customer to call if they choose to do so. Massage Envy previously told individual owners to conduct inquiries after a customer reported sexual assault but provided no blueprint for how to do so.

Massage Envy had long been aware that sexual assault allegations were a problem, Buzzfeed reported.

The company will also conduct yearly background checks on its 20,000 employees instead of just once when an employee is hired. It also announced a partnership with RAINN, an anti-sexual violence organization, which will review Massage Envy’s sexual assault policies and procedures. RAINN will serve on the company’s new safety advisory council and will be joined by Danielle Dick, a woman interviewed by BuzzFeed for the Massage Envy story.

Dick released her own statement after the changes were announced, praising the action taken by the company.

“I could not be more excited that Massage Envy heard our voices, and responded with the changes we asked for,” Dick wrote. “I want to thank you all for your support of this change.org petition. It feels almost unbelievable that I launched this petition just over a month ago with the decision to speak publicly about my story.”

Photo credit: Amy Sussman/Invision for Massage Envy/AP Images