Richmond's That Massage School accused of misleading students, not being accredited - Yahoo News

[Evan Weaver, Richmond Palladium-Item]

RICHMOND, Ind. — A massage school that opened in Richmond in November has been told by Indiana officials that it is not allowed to operate.

That Massage School, 224 S. 5th St., opened on Nov. 1 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held by the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and, according to a press release at the time, received a grant that allowed it to offer 50% off standard tuition rates for those enrolled before Nov. 23.

Former student Brenda Cummings, however, has since publicly brought allegations against the school and owner Joshua Ridenour that claim she and other students were misled to believe they were learning at an accredited school to receive massage therapy licenses.


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"I was massaging a lady one day, and I heard another lady come into the office and said, 'Are you guys accredited?'" Cummings said. "And the owner, Joshua Ridenour, said, 'Well, we're not accredited here, but we're accredited at another school location,' because they have four other locations in Indiana. So, I got concerned about that."

Cummings said that led her to start doing research, where she discovered that if students don't attend an accredited school, they do not receive a license.

"I met with the other girls and we decided to contact the Indiana Department of Workforce Development," she said. "They contacted us back, saying, Do not go back to that school. They have scammed you. They're fraudulent. You will never get a license through there."

Cummings, who is Native American and said she was the first student at the school, said her tribe, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, paid for her schooling, but the Development of Workforce Development discovered that the school had no insurance or surety bond in place.


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In an email exchange Cummings provided to the Palladium-Item, Indiana Department of Workforce Development Director Elizabeth Meguschar said the business has been operating without the department's knowledge and without authorization.

On its website, however, That Massage School states the Richmond location is regulated by the IDWD Office for Career and Technical Schools.

Because no surety bond was in place to protect students, Meguschar told Cummings in the email the department is sending "a strong worded letter" to Ridenour to reimburse the students, but she suggested students hire an attorney.

Another email Meguschar sent to Cummings and other students said the case is being referred to the state attorney general's office.


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Several attempts to contact That Massage School and Ridenour by the Palladium-Item by phone and in person at its Richmond location have been unsuccessful. But he told a reporter in November that although he wanted to use technological advances in teaching, That Massage School is accredited and regulated by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, which oversees all massage schools across the state.

Yet the Department of Workforce Development said in an email to the Palladium-Item: “DWD does not recognize That Massage School Richmond as an authorized location. We are currently working to ensure the business owner is aware of this status. Our team will continue working with the students to develop a solution to support them in their upskilling goals.”

Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Richmond's That Massage School accused of misleading students, not being accredited