SONOMA— A woman’s birthday gift from her husband — a relaxing spa day at an upscale resort in Sonoma — turned into her nightmare when her masseuse sexually assaulted her, a lawsuit alleges.
“Jane Doe,” a resident of Alameda County, was celebrating her 48th birthday in December 2017 in the Wine Country, at the five-star Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa.
Doe’s husband booked a weekend getaway at the luxury resort, which boasts a Michelin-rated restaurant, golf course and a range of spa services including massage. After checking in Dec. 1, 2017, for their weekend of rest and relaxation, they booked a massage for that day, and one for the next day.
The first massage was normal, but Doe’s second private massage wasn’t, according to the lawsuit.
Doe alleges in the lawsuit filed this week with the Sonoma County Superior Court that when she laid down on the massage table, she only had one sheet covering her unclothed body. The masseuse did not place an additional blanket over the single sheet, she states.
When the massage began, Doe claims that the masseuse, a man, was not using proper draping techniques, where only parts that are being massaged are exposed.
When Doe was lying face-down, she then alleges that the man’s hand creeped up her inner leg and inappropriately touched her, the lawsuit alleges. She froze, thinking it was a mistake, but then moments later it happened again, this time the man saying something inappropriate to her.
“A wave of panic rushed over (Doe) as she realized that the touching was intentional,” the lawsuit says.
She quickly looked up and saw the man sniffing his hand. Fearing for her safety, Doe told him that she was not feeling well and ran out of the massage room.
She found her husband with the help of two hotel employees, and told him that she had just been sexually assaulted during her massage. They immediately reported it to the manager, who did not call police, the lawsuit alleges.
Instead, the manager sent a free bottle of wine to their room “as if such a trivial token could excuse a sexual assault and breach of trust.”
The next day, Doe reported the assault to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which conducted an investigation.
Doe’s attorney, Micha Liberty, told this news organization Wednesday that the man was interviewed, but not arrested. He allegedly admitted to police his involvement, but said it was an accident. Only recently did the police contact her client again, after this lawsuit was filed this week, she said.
Despite claims that they would comp her massage, Liberty said that her client still had to pay for the service, adding “insult to injury.”
“They did nothing to assure the victim that appropriate steps would be taken. They never followed up to report what steps were taken,” Liberty said. “It’s unlawful, and really bad customer service.”
When asked if the employee is still with the Fairmont, representative Michelle Heston said she was unable to comment on ongoing legal matters.
Liberty said she believes the employee is no longer with the resort.