Naperville Assault Among Massage Envy Sex Abuse Claims

NAPERVILLE, IL — An investigative report from Buzzfeed has revealed Massage Envy, the nation's largest chain of massage franchises, has sexual assault allegations against its therapists from 180 clients. One of those allegations took place in Naperville, and several more accusations have been waged among Illinois' 40 locations.

A Plainfield woman accused a therapist at the Naperville Massage Envy, 2775 Showplace Drive, of "cupping her breasts" and rubbing her nipples during a massage in May 2013. In July 2015, she filed a $1 million lawsuit against Massage Envy and the therapist, Michael Barnabee of Sugar Grove. The suit was settled in April 2017, and Barnabee — who reportedly told the woman, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be doing that" — pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to court supervision and community service.

While the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has revoked the licenses of several accused massage therapists, the Illinois Massage Envy locations — including spas in Naperville, Elmhurst, Chicago and Tinley Park — continue to operate despite the allegations and subsequent lawsuits, and new locations have opened.

The City of Naperville does not require a local license for massage businesses, which are governed by the Illinois Massage Licensing Act. The act requires all massage therapists to be at least 18 years old and be licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. To obtain a license, therapists must complete at least 500 hours of a massage therapy program and pass a competency exam. They must also submit their fingerprints to the Illinois State Police and pay for a criminal background check before being issued a license.

Naperville's neighbor to the west, Oswego, has one Massage Envy location on Douglas Road. The Village of Oswego is considering establishing rules to prevent abuse in its massage parlors after concerns raised by the public about recent prostitution stings.

Other Illinois incidences at Massage Envy include an arrest stemming from an incident at an Elmhurst Massage Envy location, and a Dec. 2016 lawsuit involving a Tinley Park location. There have also been complaints in Chicago.

Related: Sexual Misconduct Widespread At Massage Chain: BuzzFeed

There are more than 1,000 Massage Envy locations around the country. But according to the Buzzfeed report, in places where it is not required by law, Massage Envy "does not compel its franchisees to notify law enforcement," even in cases of rape. In an email to BuzzFeed, a lawyer for Massage Envy said: "We hold franchise owners accountable to our policies and, when we say nothing is more important to us than treating clients with respect and giving them a safe, professional experience, we mean it."

According to its website, Massage Envy has three locations in Naperville, one in Oswego and one in North Aurora.

Shannon Antinori contributed to this story.

Image of Naperville Massage Envy location via Google Streetview