A woman who had sued Massage Envy Hamilton Place, saying she found she had been filmed while undressed, has dropped her suit in Circuit Court.
The complaint was filed by local attorney Robin Flores against Massage Envy Hamilton Place franchisor Goodyear Enterprises and it was dismissed late last week. Mr. Flores filed the suit on behalf of Cierra Shauntae Davenport.
Legal counsel for Goodyear Enterprises, LLC, Massage Envy Hamilton Place franchisee, filed a response to the civil complaint filed against them by Mr. Flores. In the response, counsel noted the efforts undertaken beginning in September 2024 and in the ensuing months to provide information to law enforcement and additional actions taken by Goodyear Enterprises to protect present and future clients.
On Sept. 23, the day the franchisee was made aware of the actions by Kenneth Spears to video a client, Brooke Goodyear, took immediate actions. She confronted Spears, and he admitted creating the video. She terminated him immediately, reported him to the Tennessee Massage Licensure Board and reported him to the Chattanooga Police Department.
In January, law enforcement shared that there were more than two videos and sought the assistance of the franchisee. They specifically asked the franchisee to assist by identifying individuals in the videos by cross referencing cell phone date stamps with appointment times. They also requested the franchisee to not publicly disclose the existence of additional videos, including the identity of those on the recordings. The franchisee complied with the Chattanooga Police Department’s requests throughout the investigation.
Spears was licensed by the State of Tennessee. No criminal issues showed up in his initial and annual background checks and no known disciplinary actions had ever been reported on his record. The married defendant held prominent positions in his church, including work with the children’s ministry. He was a highly requested therapist at the spa, with a number of his clients coming as referrals from other clients, said officials.
Conditions of his employment included annual training noting rules that cellphones and electronic devices are banned in treatment rooms and that videos and photography are prohibited. Spears signed the documents acknowledging such rules as a condition of employment. The response notes that Spears knew his responsibilities as a licensed massage therapist and the nature of his intentional actions.
Ms. Goodyear followed state regulations, licensing requirements and training methods, and also took swift and immediate action when the actions of Spears were made known, said officials.
The order of dismissal was approved on Wednesday.