An Atlanta spa business has been hit with a $13 million verdict in a civil case brought by two female clients who say they were sexually assaulted by an unlicensed male massage therapist.
Ponce Feet Spa and its owner, Qiujiang Wang, were found liable Friday in the case brought by the women, who claimed they were assaulted by the same unlicensed therapist in January 2021, court records show. The therapist, who was prosecuted the following year, was not a listed defendant on the verdict forms.
Jurors in DeKalb County awarded the women just over $9 million in compensation and $4 million in damages designed to punish Wang and her business, according to the verdict forms.
“After four years of silence, fear and healing, I finally feel heard,” one of the plaintiffs said in a statement provided through their attorneys.
The other plaintiff said she is overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Justice doesn’t erase the past, but today, it brought clarity,” she said. “And for that, I’m truly thankful.”
Counsel for Ponce Feet Spa and Wang did not immediately respond to questions about the case. Attempts to contact the therapist were not immediately successful.
Court records show the plaintiffs offered to settle the case before trial.
The plaintiffs alleged they were separately assaulted by the unlicensed therapist on consecutive days in January 2021, while they were having full body massages. They said Wang hired the therapist knowing he was not trained or licensed.
The therapist was charged in DeKalb County with misdemeanor counts of sexual battery, simple battery and disorderly conduct in a 2022 case, court records show. He pleaded guilty to the disorderly conduct charge and prosecutors dropped the other charges, according to the court record. The therapist was sentenced to a year of probation.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the criminal justice system failed them.
In the civil case, Wang and her business said in their defense that the therapist was an independent contractor and the plaintiffs had not shown sufficient evidence of the alleged assault. Wang and the spa claimed they were not liable for any misconduct that may have occurred.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the jurors deliberated for less than two hours before finding the spa and Wang liable for negligence in hiring and retaining the unlicensed therapist.
“The jury did its part in recognizing and addressing the harm caused by a business that blatantly ignored the rules and professional standards of the licensed massage therapy industry,” said Chrisna Jones, an attorney for the plaintiffs.
Mawuli Davis, another attorney for the women, said he hopes the verdict and the plaintiffs’ courage inspires any other victims of the unlicensed therapist to seek justice.
“It is deeply troubling to consider how many of his other victims may be suffering in silence, afraid to come forward,” Davis said.
The company doing business as Ponce Feet Spa, M Relax Inc, was formed in 2017, according to records with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
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