Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
A posh South Florida day spa was put on a year probation for hiring
unlicensed workers and allegations that a woman was sexually assaulted at
the spa.
An attorney for the spa argues that the spa didn’t do anything wrong. The State Board of Massage Therapy disagrees. The spa and its owner Fanit Panofsky were fined and put on probation until the middle of 2009.
Iverson Brazil was hired by Ms. Panofsky to perform Turkish baths, a type of
massage, although Brazil, a former car washer, not a licensed massage
therapist. When questioned by attorney Diconcilio for the State Board of
Massage Therapy, Panofsky said Brazil was originally hired to clean up, but
when she had no one else to perform the Turkish baths, she had someone train
Brazil on the premises.
According to the Board of Massage Therapy, all massages, including Turkish
baths need to be done by a licensed, well-trained professional, and Mr.
Brazil was not licensed as the state required. As Diconcilio stated, “You
can’t have somebody on a table with no clothes on, and nobody can touch them
without a license.”
Shortly after being accused of sexually assaulting a Contour client while
performing a Turkish bath, Brazil fled the country.
When questioned by the police, Brazil called the incident an “accident”,
stating that he slipped on a wet tile, which caused him to make contact with
the client’s “vaginal area.”
It could be true. I’m just curious whether any of my blog readers are buying it.