Kansas yoga studio hid dangers, ignored complaints before sexual assault, lawsuit says
A Kansas woman who spoke out after she said she was sexually assaulted during a massage is now suing the yoga studio where she received it and the therapist.
The lawsuit filed late last week in Douglas County District Court alleges that Om Grown Yoga in Baldwin City had previously received complaints about massage therapist Aaron Borger, with customers reporting “that he touched them in an offensive manner.”
Yet, the suit said, Borger remained at the studio and assaulted Mary “Katie” Aldis in early April.
“Defendant Aaron Borger touched Plaintiff in an unwanted and offensive manner, and it was not conduct constituting a massage,” the suit alleges. “Defendant Om Grown is vicariously liable for the conduct of Defendant Borger since he was acting in the course and scope of his employment.”
Through her attorneys, Aldis alleges that Om Grown as well as Borger were negligent and inflicted emotional distress. Other counts are included.
Baldwin City yoga studio
In May, The Star wrote about Aldis and what she said happened inside the Baldwin City yoga studio on April 3. After the alleged assault during the massage, Aldis went straight to the police department. The subsequent investigation led to seven more women coming forward and accusing Borger, who is charged with seven felonies, including two counts of rape, and four misdemeanors.
The alleged crimes at the Baldwin City yoga studio are said to have happened between March 2024 and April 2026.
Last month, an owner at Om Grown who didn’t want to be identified said that the studio was supporting the victims and the court process and wouldn’t say anything more. When asked if owners had been notified at least three times in 2024 that there were concerns with Borger and inappropriate contact, she said she could not comment.
Jill Kanatzar, one of the attorneys representing Aldis, said unfortunately there are individuals in “positions of trust that will violate that trust by acting in a reprehensible way.”
“The community relies on the organizations and businesses that employ those individuals to protect others from harm,” Kanatzar said in an emailed statement to The Star. “There was an opportunity to prevent this harm to my client and many other women.”
The massage at Om Grown
Aldis works in healthcare and is a major in the U.S. Army Reserves. She booked a 60-minute massage — a birthday gift from her husband — at Om Grown for April 3.
She believed a “myofascial release massage” would help with pain she was having in advance of an Army fitness test she needed to take. Other patrons had recommended Borger for that type of massage.
Last month, Aldis said reporting what she says happened to her, and doing whatever she could to help police, is her way of not only protecting others from something happening to them but comforting others who may have been assaulted, Aldis said.
“There is a lot of peace and healing when you know, you’re not alone,” Aldis said. “There are people out there that this has happened to that are alone in that and they have not been able to see that there are other people that went through the same thing.”
The suit alleges that during Aldis’ massage, Borger “touched and rubbed Plaintiff’s breast,” as well as her pubic area. Borger is also accused of further violating Aldis.
“Defendant Aaron Borger’s actions constituted extreme and outrageous conduct against Plaintiff,” the lawsuit said.
“As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ actions, Plaintiff has suffered and will continue to suffer significant injuries and damages including, but not limited to, emotional distress, pain and suffering, economic damages, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of her personal sense of security, and other psychological and emotional injuries.”
Om Grown is also accused of negligent hiring and supervision.
“Had Defendant Om Grown disclosed the true quality and fitness of Defendant Aaron Borger, Plaintiff would not have purchased the massage.”
Another count against yoga studio
Another count of the lawsuit accuses Om Grown of violating the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. That act, the suit said, prohibits any supplier from engaging in a “deceptive act or practice” in relation to a “consumer transaction.”
“Under the KCPA, the term ‘consumer transaction’ is broadly defined to include the sale or offer for sale of services to an individual,” the suit said.
Massages offered by the yoga studio are considered services under the scope of the protection act, it said.
“At the time Defendant Om Grown offered, marketed, and sold massages, it knew that it employed, or held out as its employee, agent, or representative Defendant Aaron Borger, who was unqualified and posed serious safety risks to consumers like Plaintiff.“ the suit alleges.
“Nonetheless, Defendant Om Grown concealed its knowledge of the danger from consumers like Plaintiff and instead sold massages as safe for normal use.
“The danger created and continues to create serious safety risks, which were hidden from consumers.”
Om Grown “concealed the unreasonable safety risks” that were associated with receiving massages as the studio, the lawsuit said.
“No reasonable consumer would have knowingly purchased a massage,” the suit said, “if that consumer had known it was going to involve an unqualified, dangerous massage therapist.”
The lawsuit demands a jury trial.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 11:41 AM.
