St. Charles wants to require massage employees to report sexual misconduct

Inspired by a national massage franchise embroiled in scandal, St. Charles officials took a precedent-setting step Monday toward closing a loophole that may be contributing to problems with its own local establishments.

Aldermen gave preliminary approval Monday to a change in the city's massage licensing laws. The amendment would require all employees of local massage establishments to report sexual misconduct to the local police.

The provision is similar to Illinois' mandatory reporting laws regarding possible child abuse spotted by teachers, law enforcement, emergency responders and others. St. Charles' code would be specific to massage establishment workers and sexual misconduct and be punishable only by a fine or some other business penalty.

Alderman Maureen Lewis pushed for the change after watching news accounts of the more than 180 claims of sexual assaults at Massage Envy locations across the country.

Lewis said she was struck by information in the reports indicating the customers reported the assaults to the management of the establishments. Many of those employees never took the complaints to the police.

Now she said St. Charles is in line to put in place the first known mandatory reporting ordinance for massage establishment employees.

"According to the news, not reporting the assaults was part of the problem as to why they were having issues," Lewis said. "So I'm glad we're a trailblazer here."

The plan received the endorsement of Mayor Ray Rogina and police Chief James Keegan.

"As police officers, anytime we see or hear of neglect or abuse we are mandated to notify the authorities," Keegan said. "We're going to put the same onus on folks that work at our massage businesses. If they see it, they hear it; they have to notify the St. Charles Police Department. This is unprecedented waters, but we're happy to set the trend."

The city's liquor control commission, which also oversees licensing for massage businesses, is in the process of possibly revoking a license from a fifth massage business in recent years. The pending decision follows a prostitution sting at the business earlier this year.

Rogina has already found the "preponderance of evidence" indicates violations of city ordinances occurred in the business.

On Monday, representatives for Shangri-La Spa & Sauna presented a plea for leniency.

Rogina said he would issue his final ruling sometime after the first of the year. The full city council would also be in line to take a final vote on the new mandatory reporting law in January.