Franchise owner, former employee of Timonium Massage Envy sued for sexual assault - WBAL...

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BALTIMORE —
Arizona-based Massage Envy has been making headlines all over the country, as multiple women claim they were sexually assaulted during a massage.

Two Baltimore women are suing the franchise owner and a former employee at the Timonium location.


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"Both of the women that I represent continue to be in therapy no more than two years later as a result of the assaults they suffered. It's dramatically affected their interpersonal relationships. One of them is married," attorney Emily Malarkey said.

Malarkey is representing two women who claim they were sexually assaulted by a former male employee at the Massage Envy in Timonium in November 2015.

According to the lawsuit, the two women say the man inappropriately touched them on the buttocks and vaginal area.

"They feel like they put their trust in the massage therapist in a completely vulnerable position whether lying on clothes on the table with someone else touching them and that the trust was violated," Malarkey said.

While the male suspect was acquitted of sexual assault charges, Malarkey feels the women have a good chance in civil court as they will be able to obtain testimony from other possible victims. Even though the suspect was fired after the allegations, Malarkey believes she can show that Massage Envy didn't do enough to protect her clients.

"He was a new employee, a new hire, (and) had only been there a couple of weeks to months and very little (has been) done to make sure that the people he was massaging were comfortable," Malarkey said.

Massage Envy's franchise CEO, Joseph C. Magnacca, recently released a statement saying he was "sickened and so disheartened" by the nationwide allegations.

"We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior and to those who suffered, I am deeply sorry," Magnacca said.

The company is restructuring its entire commitment to safety. WBAL TV-11 contacted the suspect's lawyer for comment, but did not receive a call back.

One of the victims has resolved her case out of court. The other is scheduled for a jury trial in April.

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