With what Deshaun Watson is going through, Ohio State wasn’t taking any chances with their athletes. A massage therapist has been banned by Ohio State University for sexually targeting several football players.
An investigative report had to be conducted into the behavior of a 41-year-old female massage therapist after a complaint was filed March 14, 2020.
Ultimately, it was determined that there were not any NCAA violations and no crimes had taken place.
Per the investigative report: “83 of the 117 football players interviewed had no knowledge of or interaction with the massage therapist. Of the 34 who did, “9 football student athletes either interacted with her over social media or directly knew about her from other football student athletes, 20 football student athletes received massages only, and 5 football student athletes acknowledged during interviews that they engaged in sexual activities with the massage therapist … All of the football student athletes who engaged in sexual encounters described them as consensual.”
“The massage therapist’s conduct targeted OSU football student athletes who were young (ranging from 18 to early 20s), but the evidence uncovered during the investigation did not reveal that her interactions with the football student athletes rose to the level of any crimes. According to the current and former football student athletes interviewed, the sexual activities that occurred were consensual.
Further, in the instances where she attempted to initiate sexual activity during a massage (e.g., where she made brief contact with their genitals while giving them massages), those football student athletes characterized the touching as incidental and stated that while it was unwanted, she stopped the inappropriate touching when the football student athletes objected.
The massage therapist had no connection to OSU, its Athletic Department, or to anyone connected to the University.
The investigation found no evidence that the massage therapist is or was acting on behalf of an agent or any particular person or entity in professional or collegiate sports, much less on behalf of OSU athletics. Rather, the facts indicate that she seemed to be acting for her own sexual gratification and that she acted alone. Accordingly, there is no foundation for a finding that “extra benefits” were provided to football student athletes or that the rules addressing preferential treatment, benefits, or services apply under the NCAA bylaws.”
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith praised all of the players who cooperated with the investigation.
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“I’m thankful that our student-athletes, our coaches and staff were honest, forthright and open during the investigation, and I’m really thankful that they maintained confidentiality, affording the investigation the opportunity to operate without distraction and be able to operate with integrity,” Smith said.
Smith has since teamed up with the school’s director of public safety Monica Moll to ban the therapist from contacting any members of the athletics program through any means, purchasing tickets, using complimentary tickets and donating to the university.
She will be arrested on site if she is ever found on campus.
