Massage therapist surrenders license due to allegations of sexual misconduct

A massage therapist has surrendered his license after being accused of inappropriately touching a 65-year-old patient during a massage at a Marion County facility.

The Florida Department of Health Board of Massage Therapy issued a final order on May 24 accepting David Mendez’s voluntary surrender of his massage therapy license.

Mendez, who lives in Umatilla, voluntarily surrendered his driver’s license last November.

Last May, the Department of Health filed an administrative complaint against Mendez related to an alleged incident at a massage parlor in Summerfield.

According to the DOH, a 65-year-old female patient visited the facility on March 10, 2023 to receive massage therapy services.

The patient “undressed completely, lay face down on the massage table and covered herself with the towel provided,” the complaint states.

During the massage, the lawsuit states, Mendez moved his hands from the patient’s thighs “toward her pelvis” before placing his “fingers” on the woman’s “vulva.”

“(Mendez) placed his fingers on the patient’s labia and moved his hand up and down,” the Health Department complaint states. The document further accuses Mendez of attempting to “sexually stimulate” the patient by “rubbing on and around her labia.”

“(Mendez) exploited the massage therapist-patient relationship to entice or attempt to entice the patient to engage in sexual activities that were outside the scope of his professional activities or generally accepted examinations and treatments,” the DOH complaint states.

According to the voluntary waiver filed with the Department of Health, Mendez agreed to “never again apply for a massage therapist license” in the state. He also agreed to completely waive his “legal privilege of silence,” making the complaint and case public.

Mendez also agreed to waive all rights to “seek judicial review or otherwise challenge or contest the validity of the waiver or the final order of the DOH.”