A woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the Woodhouse Spa location on Piedmont Row Drive in SouthPark, alleging that a massage therapist sexually assaulted her during a session in late June 2025. The lawsuit comes after the therapist was placed on probation by the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy 18 days before the alleged incident; he later surrendered his massage license after the latest complaint against him.
The lawsuit alleges that the woman left the massage room immediately after the incident and reported it to spa management, but that the response was inadequate, according to WSOC-TV. The therapist is not named in the lawsuit because he has not been charged with a crime, the station reported.
The woman's attorney, Yale Haymond, said he was surprised when he learned of the therapist's prior disciplinary action. “I don't see how something like that could happen,” Haymond told the station. The lawsuit seeks tens of thousands of dollars in damages, including for alleged emotional distress.
Prior Complaint at the Same Location
The WSOC-TV report also described a separate December 2024 complaint by another woman, who said she was touched inappropriately at the SouthPark location. Woodhouse Spa representatives said they were preparing a response to the lawsuit.
The SouthPark Woodhouse Spa opened in January 2024 under local franchise owner LeAnn Lambert, a former real estate broker and financial advisor, according to QC Exclusive. The location operates within a national franchise system owned by Denver-based Radiance Holdings, which acquired the Woodhouse Spa brand in 2020 and now oversees more than 90 franchise locations across 24 states, according to a statement carried by PR Newswire.
How North Carolina's Complaint Process Works
Under Chapter 90, Article 36 of the North Carolina General Statutes, the state Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy can discipline licensees through measures that include probation, suspension, license surrender and civil penalties when conduct threatens public safety, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. The North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy says complaints must be submitted in writing and may be delivered electronically, by mail, private carrier or in person.
Separately, the board has said that regulators cannot formally take disciplinary action based only on an employer's report of sexual misconduct without written cooperation from the affected client, according to WCNC. That distinction concerns the board's investigative process and does not determine the outcome of the civil lawsuit against Woodhouse Spa.
A Pattern of Litigation Against Charlotte-Area Spas
Separate criminal cases provide local context but involve different people, dates and outcomes. WBTV reported that former Charlotte massage therapist Eugene Gatling was found guilty of second-degree forcible sex offense and sexual battery after a January 2021 assault in south Charlotte.
What the Public Records Show
The North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy says members of the public may file written complaints about licensees, massage schools or people suspected of practicing without a license. Complaints remain confidential while they are under investigation, but a formal hearing and the board's decision become public records. The board also says its online license-verification system uses primary-source data and is updated weekly. Other documented Charlotte cases are distinct from the allegations in the Woodhouse lawsuit. A 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court opinion described a Jan. 17, 2016 incident at Zen Massage that resulted in a sexual-battery conviction. These cases involve different dates, businesses and legal outcomes and do not establish what happened in the Woodhouse matter.
Civil injury lawsuits against massage franchises may involve business-liability theories such as vicarious liability, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, and premises liability, according to The Parker Firm. Such claims typically seek compensation covering counseling, lost wages, and emotional distress, on top of any criminal proceedings against the accused individual, which move forward independently.
North Carolina law also includes licensing requirements for massage therapy establishments, with the board empowered to levy civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation against noncompliant operations, according to the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy. Whether Woodhouse Spa management was aware of the therapist's probation status before the alleged June 2025 incident, or whether administrative delays prevented timely notice, remains an open question in the case.
