MASSAGE ENVY EMPLOYEE JOSE GRAJALES OF WELLINGTON ARRESTED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT

| Dec 16, 2020 | Massage Therapists

In September 2020, Message Envy’s massage therapist Jose Grajales, age 27, was arrested on misdemeanor battery charges in which it is alleged that he made unlawful sexual contact with a long-time female client of Massage Envy at its Wellington, Florida location.  According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office records, in August 2019, a Massage Envy client was seeking pain relief from chronic fibromyalgia and migraine headaches.  On the date of the alleged incident, she was assigned to massage therapist Jose Grajales because her regular therapist was out sick.

The arrest affidavit states the woman reported that Grajales unlawfully initiated unwanted sexual contact with and ultimately penetrated her vagina with one or two fingers during the massage appointment.  Following the massage appointment, the client allegedly told Grajales he had touched in places she did not want to be touched. She also allegedly reported the incident to a Massage Envy associate and then to her therapist and the police.  Grajales has pleaded not guilty to the charge.  Despite the arrest, Grajales’ license is active and in good standing with the Florida Department of Health as of this date.

Massage Envy has seen an unwelcome amount of negative press in recent years as it has been the subject of multiple allegations of sexual assault of its female clientele. In 2017,  Buzzfeed reported that more than 180 people had filed sexual misconduct complaints against the franchise. SInce that time, dozens more have made public complaints and filed civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse at Massage Envy.

When clients book a massage, it is to decompress from the stresses of life, and in cases like this to round out a medical treatment program. They trust that the massage therapists employed at the spa are carefully vetted and safe to engage with the public. It is unacceptable, immoral and unlawful for any employee to touch a client in a sexual manner.

Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against massage therapists on behalf of clients who were inappropriately touched at Massage Envy and other spas and resorts. If you are aware of incidents of sexual misconduct at Massage Envy or have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery during a massage, please contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected] for a free consultation.