You booked a massage to feel better. You trusted a licensed professional with your comfort, privacy, and body. If that trust was broken, Texas law allows you to pursue a civil claim against the therapist and, in many situations, the spa or franchise that employed them.
Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP stands with survivors across Dallas, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Collin County, and Denton County. As Dallas sexual assault victim lawyers, we listen first and let you decide what comes next. A conversation with a massage therapist sexual assault lawyer in Dallas costs nothing and stays confidential.
Understanding Your Civil Rights After Sexual Assault by a Massage Therapist
Massage places clients in a vulnerable position by design. You undress, lie on a table, and follow instructions from someone trained to touch you therapeutically. Any sexual contact during a session crosses a clear line, legally and ethically, no matter what the therapist later claims.
A civil case puts the decisions in your hands, such as whether to file, whom to name, and whether to settle. Our work as medical professional sexual assault attorneys shapes how we approach sensitive cases like yours.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Most cases involve more than one potential defendant, and the business behind the therapist often holds the insurance and the records.
Possible liable parties include:
The Therapist
The individual who committed the assault can face claims such as assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. You may be able to sue a massage therapist for sexual assault in Texas even if no criminal charges have been filed.
The Spa, Studio, or Franchise
Texas courts often treat sexual assault as falling outside an employee’s job duties, so claims against a business usually focus on its own negligence. Some spas label therapists as independent contractors, but that label does not automatically end the inquiry.
A national franchise brand may also share responsibility if it controlled hiring standards, safety policies, or complaint handling at the location. At Crowe Arnold & Majors, a spa sexual assault attorney in Dallas can review contracts and ownership records to trace who had that control
Dallas Lawyers Who Listen and Stand With Survivors
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe nothing unless the firm recovers compensation on your behalf.
If you were sexually assaulted by a massage therapist, schedule a free, confidential consultation with a Dallas sexual assault attorney from our team. We’ll listen to what happened, answer your questions, and explain your options, with no pressure to move forward until you’re ready.
What happened to you is not your fault. Many survivors second-guess whether what happened during a massage “counts” as assault, especially when it involved unwanted touching or happened while they were vulnerable on the table. If something felt wrong, your experience matters and deserves to be taken seriously. Massage businesses, spas, and franchise locations have a responsibility to protect their clients, and when they fail to do so, they may be held accountable. Many of these assaults involve preventable failures, such as inadequate background checks, ignoring prior complaints against a therapist, poor supervision, or keeping an employee on staff despite clear warning signs. In some cases, a business may be liable even if the therapist who committed the assault was never charged or convicted.
Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP has over 25 years of personal injury experience. We handle every case with discretion and respect, and we work to protect your privacy throughout the legal process. When a massage business or its insurer refuses to take responsibility, we do not hesitate to take matters to trial. Our law firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts.
If you would like to talk with a member of our team, you can call us confidentially at (214) 231-0555. During your free consultation, we will walk you through what to expect at a pace that feels right for you. If you can’t come to our office, one of our attorneys can meet you somewhere you feel comfortable. You don’t have to go through this alone.
John W. Arnold,
Partner, Trial and Appellate Attorney
With over 25 years of experience, John is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney known for delivering results.
David W. Crowe
Partner, Personal Injury
For more than 30 years, David has been a powerful advocate and fighting for individuals harmed by negligence and abuse.
D.G. Majors
Trial Attorney, Personal Injury and Product Liability
D.G. is a trial lawyer with a strong track record of results in personal injury, product liability, and commercial litigation.
Negligent Hiring and Supervision in Texas Massage Assault Cases
Negligent hiring and supervision claims ask, “Did the business ignore warning signs it should have acted on?”
Red flags might include a past complaint from another client, a therapist’s disciplinary history with the state, missing background checks, or managers who let sessions run without any oversight or policy on draping and consent.
Claims for negligent hiring of a massage therapist in Texas often turn on internal documents, including personnel files, prior client complaints, scheduling records, and training logs. Businesses rarely hand these over voluntarily.
“A massage requires a level of trust few other services do. Clients are undressed, alone, and relying completely on the professional in the room. Exploiting that trust is a profound betrayal, and it rarely happens in a vacuum. We pursue the therapist, and we look just as hard at the business that hired, trained, and supervised them.” — Crowe Arnold & Majors
Texas Licensing Standards for Massage Therapists
Texas regulates massage therapy under Chapter 455 of the Occupations Code, enforced by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Therapists must complete at least 500 hours of supervised training and pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Massage businesses need their own establishment license and must post each therapist’s license, with a photo, in plain view.
TDLR’s consumer guidance states that sexual contact is not allowed in a licensed massage establishment. Therapists who break that rule can lose their licenses. You can file a complaint with TDLR separately from any lawsuit, and records from that process may support your civil case.
How a Civil Lawsuit Differs From a Criminal Complaint
A sexual assault can lead to two separate legal paths. They run independently, serve different purposes, and give survivors very different roles:
- Criminal case: The State of Texas prosecutes the offender, seeks penalties such as jail time, and must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. You participate as a witness.
- Civil case: You bring the claim, seek compensation, and need to prove your case by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. You may file regardless of whether police made an arrest, prosecutors filed charges, or a jury returned a conviction.
Both paths can move forward at the same time, and the outcome of one does not decide the other. A civil claim lets you pursue accountability on your own terms, even if the criminal process stalls or never begins.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim in Texas?
Adult survivors generally have five years from the date of the assault to file a civil lawsuit, and those assaulted as minors generally have until 30 years after turning 18. Still, spas close, staff moves on, and records can vanish long before a deadline arrives. For a wider view, see sexual assault statistics in Texas.
Steps to Take After a Massage Therapist Sexual Assault
The hours and days after an assault can feel overwhelming, and there is no single right way to respond.
The steps below can protect your health and preserve options for later, but none of them are required:
- Get medical care, including a forensic exam if you want one.
- Write down everything you remember, including the date, the room, what was said, and how you were draped.
- Save booking confirmations, receipts, texts, intake forms, and any messages from the spa.
- Report to police if and when you choose to.
- File a complaint with TDLR to create an official record.
- Talk with an attorney before speaking with the spa’s managers or insurers. A signed waiver or intake form never grants permission for sexual contact.
Honor your experience, move at your own pace, and skip any step that does not feel right yet.
Confidential support is available around the clock through the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673.
Texas Sexual Assault Case Results
Massage therapist sexual assault settlement.
Settlement involving client who was raped at fast-food restaurant by a manager.
Clergy Abuse Settlement.
Your Next Step Starts With One Conversation
Crowe Arnold & Majors brings over 65 years of collective legal experience and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. We take these cases on contingency, so you pay no fee unless there is a recovery. Contact Crowe Arnold & Majors for a free consultation.
Our Dallas Location
You can find our office in Bank of America Plaza at 901 Main Street in downtown Dallas. We’re near Dealey Plaza, the JFK Memorial, Renaissance Tower, and the AT&T Discovery District.
6550 Bank of America Plaza
901 Main St.
P: 214-231-0555