Metro Police recently charged a former Washington, DC massage envy worker with sexually assaulting multiple women during the course of their visits to the company's Tenleytown location. The abuser, 24-year-old Habtamu Gebreselassie, stands accused of multiple counts of sex crimes against his victims, including attempted sexual abuse on August 28 and sexual abuse on September 17, 2017.
According to reports, Gebreselaissie touched the private areas of his victims without their consent while performing therapeutic massages. Another victim recently came forward and told local media outlets that Gebreselassie "touched her inappropriately, bruised her, and made her feel uncomfortable at the Massage Envy location in Bowie, Maryland, on June 20."
Victims accuse Massage Envy of turning a blind eye to Gebreselassie's crimes, denying the victims cancellation of their membership and instead only offering a "free spa day" as compensation for the allegations. Massage Envy allegedly transferred Gebreselassie from their Bowie, Maryland location to their Washington, DC store after learning of the accusations.
In a statement to reporters, representatives for Massage Envy asserted they performed a proper background check on Gebreselassie and that the company had a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse. However, these statements seem to conflict with the stories told by survivors and appear to cast the business as apathetic to the abuses suffered.
The Washington DC sexual assault attorneys of The Cochran Firm, DC have absolutely no tolerance for the type of behavior allegedly committed by Gebreselassie and the seemingly indifferent attitude shown toward victims by Massage Envy. Sexual assault survivors deserved to be listened to and believed when showing the courage to confront their abusers.
Survivors have come forward to contact The Cochran Firm, DC about their cases and our office encourages anyone who suffered abuse at the hands of Gebreselassie or any other Massage Envy employee to step forward. Our office offers free and confidential legal consultations to clients and all information is kept in-house.
While nothing can undo the harm of sexual assault, filing civil claims can hold not only the abuser responsible for their egregious behavior but also the company for its negligence in hiring and retaining a known abuser. The Cochran Firm, DC believes strongly in protecting our communities and holding corporations accountable for their actions and will do whatever it takes to secure justice for the injured.
Call 1-800-THE FIRM (843-3476) for your free and confidential case consultation. Our Washington DC sexual assault attorneys will investigate your claim with dignity and respect as you work through this difficult time and focus on healing. The Cochran Firm, DC does not charge any upfront costs and our office does not collect any legal fees unless we win your case.
