Report: Massage Envy Ignored More Than 180 Claims of Sexual Assault

More than 180 women have accused massage therapists working for the popular chain Massage Envy of sexual assault, and the company has repeatedly ignored complaints, BuzzFeed News reports. Citing police reports, lawsuits, and other complaints, BuzzFeed said Sunday the allegations run from groping to digital and oral penetration. Several women cited in the report say the company—which operates about 1,200 spas across the U.S.—either ignored or mishandled their complaints. One woman, Susan Ingram, told BuzzFeed she phoned the company to warn them a massage therapist had just sexually assaulted her only to be told by the manager at that location that the therapist was currently in a session with another female client and could not be interrupted. The massage therapist in question, James Dieter, later pleaded guilty to sexually molesting nine women while working for Massage Envy. Court records cited in the report said the company had been warned about Dieter by previous clients, but no action was taken because the accusers had refused to return to the scene of the crime to discuss the alleged assaults.