Massage therapist Garrett Birmingham voluntarily surrendered his license to practice massage therapy in Florida, which was accepted and adjudged as a discipline on May 8, 2023, by the Board of Massage Therapy. This final order was in response to a disciplinary action brought by the Florida Department of Health after a report was made alleging sexual misconduct during a massage Birmingham performed while working at Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa in St. Augustine, FL. By surrendering her license, it prohibits any further administrative action regarding this case. Butts has been licensed as a massage therapist in Florida since September 2013. Birmingham also owns The Master’s Hands Therapeutic Massage and previously worked at Massage Envy in Jacksonville, FL.
According to the investigative report, the owner of Hand and Stone Massage in St. Augustine filed a complaint to authorities stating Birmingham allegedly sexually abused a 35-year-old female during a 60-minute massage at Hand and Stone on September 12, 2022. The claim states during the massage, Birmingham touched the when he cupped both of the client’s breasts and digitally penetrated her vagina.
This is just one of the many disturbing trends of sexual misconduct by massage therapists statewide. Under Florida law, massage therapists occupy positions of trust, and all sexual activity between the massage therapist and clients is strictly prohibited. Birmingham allegedly violated the massage therapist-patient relationship. A massage therapist may not use his relationship with a client to induce or attempt to induce the patient to engage or to engage or attempt to engage the patient in sexual activity outside the scope of practice or the scope of generally accepted examination or treatment of the patient.
Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual assault lawsuits against massage therapists for clients who were sexually assaulted during massages at Massage establishments, salons, spas, and resorts. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery during a massage, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected] for a free consultation.