Fairfield County, Ohio Jury Awards Ten Women More Than $10 Million in Sexual Abuse Case
On February 29, 2024, a Lancaster jury awarded more than $10 million to ten former customers of a popular Lancaster holistic health spa who claimed massage therapist Matthew Schaitel sexually abused them during visits between 2019 and 2021.
The 8-person jury deliberated two hours after a 9-day trial in which the women shared their accounts of the sexual abuse perpetrated by Schaitel, which included the use of inappropriate, sexually-driven touch on the women while claiming it was therapeutically appropriate and flagrantly violating industry standards of care to carry out his abuse.
“We are grateful to our clients who endured a long and painful path to hold Schaitel accountable for his actions,” said lead trial attorney Lynn Ellenberger from FeganScott, the firm that represented the women. “It is their collective courage that helped bring these issues to light, ensuring that Schaitel can never prey upon women in his role as a massage therapist again.”
The verdict included more than $5 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, plus attorney fees and certain out of pocket costs.
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