TULSA - A national story is sparking outrage close to home. The popular spa chain Massage Envy is facing hundreds of sexual assault allegations, some right here in Oklahoma.
"I think they should pull the plug on Massage Envy, that's my personal opinion," said Oklahoma City Sexual Assault Attorney Cameron Spradling.
He's handled sexual assault cases against Massage Envy.
"Ask yourself that question, are you willing to risk that?"
And now that they're resolved, he's taking a stand.
"I mean, this is unheard of what's happened at Massage Envy."
In fact, he's worked on some of the cases referenced in a Buzzfeed investigationcounting 180 reports of sexual assault through the franchise nationwide.
One Oklahoma woman claiming in her lawsuit, the masseuse impregnated her.
"We learned of several other perpetrators, we learned of other victims, people who didn't want to come forward and people who were never charged with a crime."
Spradling has recently talked to a number of victims who haven't reported their claims, and fears some are in Tulsa.
“I think at first a person would kind of wonder if something is actually happening or not," said Missy Iski of Tulsa's Domestic Violence Intervention Services, also called DVIS.
She said not reporting abuse in a perceived safe space is a normal practice.
“I think a lot of times they’re made to feel responsible, they may feel like I’ve put myself in this situation," she said.
She also said people with bad intentions tend to take jobs that allow them to get close to their victims.
She cites being a masseuse as a perfect example.
In a statement Massage Envy said the incidents spanning across 15 years are "heartbreaking" and they will never stop looking for ways to help the franchises provide a safe environment.
Also citing policies requiring the spas to investigate allegations and fire employees when necessary.
"Massage Envy is a bad idea. They can't fix the problem, they know the problem has existed, they can no longer ignore the problem and now it's time to the pull plug on this franchise," Spradling said.
Now, the company stands tall in Tulsa and around the country, but Spradling has a message for women holding on to their painful stories.
"I always say it should stop with them."
The Massage Envy website identifies four locations in Green Country, but there aren't any known cases from any of those locations.
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