Up until Wednesday, Tonya Stewart Grey says she'd been undergoing massage therapy at Sisters of Charity Hospital for a herniated disk in her neck. But on that day, she was notified that her usual therapist would not be seeing her.
"They said this particular time, I wouldn't have a female. I would have a male,” Grey said.
She went ahead with the appointment, but says what happened during the session was disturbing.
"He started massaging me and started to tell me to lie on my back," Grey said.
She was so upset with the alleged incident, she filed a police report, and reported that the therapist was "treating her breast/chest area instead of her neck."
When she questioned the therapist as to why, he allegedly said it was to "open her up." Grey said the now-former Sisters employee made vulgar comments about the size of her breasts as the session continued.
"I'm here for my neck," Grey recalled. "I don't understand what my boobs had to do with my neck. I felt very uncomfortable at that time."
Grey says her discomfort level only increased. She left her session in shock and pain.
"This guy comes behind me with an ice pack and says 'You're going to need this,'" Grey said.
She says she feared coming forward because of retaliation.
The massage therapist allegedly said he'd been working at Sisters for three years. She says she came forward to encourage anyone who may have a similar experience to do the same.
"How many others has he made comments to? People need to come forward if this has happened to them because it certainly happened to me,” Grey said. “I go there to get care and treatment to make me better and I’m feeling worse."
In a statement Catholic Health, Sisters of Charity Hospital's parent company said:
"This matter was promptly investigated and addressed. While the associate in question is no longer employed at Sisters Hospital, we will cooperate fully with local law enforcement on any criminal investigations related to the alleged conduct."
No arrests have been made, but Buffalo police are investigating.