AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman who reported a massage therapist sexually assaulted her in October 2022 has filed a lawsuit against the spa where the man worked.
The spa named in the lawsuit is the Milk + Honey Spa in Austin.
The woman, who used a pseudonym because of the sensitivity of the case, said she was seeking more than $1 million in damages, according to the lawsuit.
The woman visited the spa’s Bee Cave location on Oct. 24, 2022, and during a massage, the spa’s then-employee, Kevin Wilson, 34, used his fingers and hands inappropriately, the lawsuit alleges. sexually assaulted her by touching her. The lawsuit also alleges that the assault caused her physical injury, pain and emotional distress.
“[The woman’s] A massage should be a relaxing and rewarding treat.Instead, it turned into a nightmare that would affect [her] for the rest of her life,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit documents show that the woman reported the incident to the Bee Hole Police Department after the attack, and Wilson did not deny the violence when interviewed by the police.
The woman claimed the spa had a responsibility to provide a safe environment for her massage treatments and said sexual assault was preventable.
The suit alleges that Milk + Honey Spa was negligent in hiring, supervising, training and retaining Wilson. It also alleges that the spa failed to take reasonable steps to ensure Wilson would not harm patrons and did not have adequate policies and procedures in place to prevent the assault that occurred on the woman.
According to past reports from KXAN, the spa owner said the massage therapists passed extensive background checks.
Wilson is scheduled for two court hearings related to the incident at the spa on April 26. One was for an indecency allegation and the other was for a sexual assault allegation, according to Travis County records.
KXAN contacted Milk + Honey about the lawsuit. Read their full statement below.
Since 2006, milk honey has been operating with the utmost integrity, positivity and gratitude which are the foundations of the business. I am both saddened and shocked to learn of the allegations that Kevin Wilson joined milk honey on August 25, 2022. As a survivor, my deepest condolences to the victims and their families.
However, we vehemently deny all allegations in the lawsuit alleging that there was something we could or should have done to prevent this from happening.
Kevin Wilson came to Milk & Honey as a candidate with over 13 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist, having worked at very prestigious spas. Kevin also holds an active massage therapy license and is considered in good standing by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). As part of our candidate screening and selection process we also conduct advanced background checks on all employees and Kevin’s background screening was fully clear and qualified for employment.
As a woman-founded company, milk honey has zero tolerance for sexual inappropriate conduct or conduct by any employee or customer. We were disappointed to learn of the recent lawsuits filed against Milk Honey. As soon as we learned of the allegations, Kevin was immediately removed from our schedule and subsequently fired. We attempted to get in touch with the victim and asked her permission to file a formal complaint with TDLR on her behalf in order to have his massage license revoked. Additionally, we have provided cooperation and support with law enforcement and provided them with the necessary documentation to support their investigation. We will continue to operate with integrity and do everything we can to support this process and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
