On June 11, 2024, the State of Florida Board of Massage Therapy issued a Final Order revoking Marc Churaman’s massage therapy license on account of his alleged sexual assault of a female client at Massage Luxe in Palm Beach Gardens. The Florida Department of Health’s Surgeon General previously issued an Emergency Order restricting Mark Churaman’s license to work as a massage therapist following a disturbing allegation that he sexually assaulted a female client at Massage Luxe. Churaman had been a licensed massage therapist in Florida since November 2020. Churaman denies all wrongdoing and claims the allegation is unsubstantiated.
According to the Board of Massage Therapy Orders, on May 31, 2023, Churaman performed a 60-minute massage on a 34-year-old patient at Massage Luxe in Palm Beach Gardens, at 5310 Donald Ross Rd. During the massage, Churaman began rubbing the client’s thighs and gluteal muscles. He then allegedly placed his entire hand on the client’s right buttocks and pushed his palm into her buttocks. He then asked the client to flip over face up. He began rubbing the client’s leg and reportedly slid up to her labia under the sheet that covered her. He then rubbed the inside of her labia according to the Emergency Order. The client reportedly got nervous and believed Churaman was about to digitally penetrate her, and she interjected with a sarcastic comment stating that he should probably take her for a drink first if you’re going to do something like that. Churaman stopped touching her and asked her for a drink. The Order states that client said no, and Churaman apologized by saying he just couldn’t control himself. She asked him to leave the room immediately. She then allegedly reported Churaman to the store manager and filed an incident report with the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. When the detectives arrived at Massage Luxe to question Churaman, the Massage Luxe manager told law enforcement that Churaman admitted that he accidentally touched his patient’s vagina.
Clients of massage therapists are placed in isolated, vulnerable settings where they can be subject to abuse by their massage therapists. Due to the potential for abuse that is inherent under these circumstances, massage therapists must possess good judgment and good moral character in order to safely practice massage therapy. Incidents such as this are a reminder that persons who may commit sexual misconduct work in all industries, even professions in which we typically place our blind trust. All allegations of sexual abuse must be thoroughly investigated by law enforcement, and employers must be especially vigilant in supervision and protection at all times. According to the Emergency Order, Marc Churaman abused his power and lacked good moral judgment to safely massage female clients.