Woman to receive $1.2M from Chicago hotel in alleged sexual assault case
CHICAGO - A woman who filed a lawsuit last year against a Chicago hotel, saying she was sexually assaulted at its spa, will receive a $1.2 million settlement.
The lawsuit, filed in September of last year, alleged that the Langham Hotel-Chicago and Pacific Langham Services Corporation hired a massage therapist, Joseph Mitchell, who had a history of sexual assault complaints.
The lawsuit alleged that Mitchell sexually assaulted the woman in September 2020 while giving her a massage treatment at Langham's Chuan Spa, which is part of Langham Hotel located at 330 N. Wabash.
Attorneys say that Mitchell also remained in the room while the woman got changed for her massage and touched her vagina, pelvic, buttocks and breast regions.
Another victim, who said they were sexually assaulted on the same day by Mitchell during a massage at the Langham Hotel, had their case settled last year for $1,000,000.00.
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Two different women also allegedly complained about Mitchell to hotel staff a year prior.
In June 2019, the Langham received a sexual assault complaint against Mitchell from a female customer who said he was "a predator" and went "too high on her thigh, touching her public bone, exposing her breasts, and touching her vagina."
She told staff that what he did "was wrong and felt abusive."
Staff reportedly referred the complaint to the hotel’s Director of Human Resources, but the hotel allegedly took no action other than "counseling" Mitchell on "how not to make clients uncomfortable," the lawsuit states.
Mitchell has faced similar sexual assault complaints at previous places of employment.
According to attorneys, Mitchell had previously been fired from a Massage Envy location as well as the East Bank Club after both businesses received complaints about sexual assault and inappropriate touching from female patrons who received treatment from him.