The Santa Barbara City Council approved new regulations for massage therapists Tuesday night, part of a police-led effort to combat human trafficking and sexual assault-related crimes.
Massage therapists will have to obtain permits from the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), which requires a minimum of 500 hours of training. Established massage therapists with over 10 years of experience can be exempt if they show proof of 200 hours of certified training and pass a Live Scan background check. At the meeting, some established massage therapists pushed back on these new rules.
“I’ve been massaging since 1981, my school is no longer around,” said Thea Altman. “There is no record online for it to get my CAMTC. I’m not going to go back to school now.”
Other opponents of the massage ordinance cited anti-Asian racism. Sarah Kay, who works with a massage parlor organizing program, said the CAMTC has a lack of Asian representation on its board despite Asian Americans making up a large portion of massage therapists in the U.S.
Kay said most certification classes only exist in English, and Chinese or Thai language classes are only offered in Los Angeles.
“(The ordinance) is a gatekeeper that excludes immigrants,” Kay said. “It only pushes them to work in fear and out of sight, and stay silent when a customer or boss hurts them.”
However, many experienced massage therapists were for the ordinance. Katie Mickey, the owner and director of Santa Barbara Body Therapy Institute, a massage school, supported the revisions. She said that Santa Barbara has many options for massage therapists who want to go back to school.
Mickey worked with The Santa Barbara Police Department to provide direction for the ordinance. At the meeting, police commander Ben Ahrens presented a history of criminal cases connected to massage salons in Santa Barbara.
The 32 cases reported included prostitution, sexual battery and rape. Of the cases, 19 involved non-permitted locations that didn’t align with public health guides.
“The steps in the ordinance and the items listed are designed based on the cases we’ve investigated,” Ahrens said. “There’s been a lot of thought into each of the steps in the proposed ordinance before you today.”
The ordinance passed with a modification changing the language around inspections. Council members wanted to ensure unannounced police inspections could only happen on a complaint-basis and if the owner gave consent.
Councilmember Kristen Sneddon added that the 10-year experience requirement should be further researched, and other options to certification should be explored to make the ordinance more inclusive.
The ordinance passed with a 5-1 vote. Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez voted no, concerned that the ordinance could drive massage therapists to competing cities. Councilmember Mike Jordan abstained due to conflict of interest—he said his “household includes a masseuse.”
“Whatever tools we can use to stem the tide of human trafficking,” Mayor Randy Rowse said. “I’m going to be supporting.”
