Baldwin City yoga collective sued in widening assault case

A Baldwin City wellness business is facing new scrutiny as a civil suit alleges it ignored complaints about a massage therapist now charged with 11 sex crimes. The case against Aaron Paul Borger, 44, of Hartford, has moved from a single April 3 massage appointment at Om Grown Yoga & Wellness Collective to Douglas County District Court and the Douglas County Jail.

The lawsuit, filed at the end of May, names Borger and Om Grown at 816 High St. and accuses the collective of negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, negligent infliction of emotional distress and a violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. The plaintiff also alleges Om Grown concealed what it knew about the danger Borger posed to clients and is seeking a jury trial, compensatory damages and punitive damages. The defendants had not yet responded.

Borger’s defense lawyers told the court that more charges were expected and asked to delay a status conference until July 22. He was being held on a $500,000 bond. As of April 17, Borger faced two counts of rape, five counts of aggravated sexual battery and four counts of sexual battery, all tied to his work with female clients at Om Grown.

The criminal case began with an affidavit centered on an April 3 massage appointment, and that account prompted more than half a dozen other women to come forward with similar experiences. By April 23, eight women total had reported experiences tied to Borger, with birth years ranging from 1969 to 2008. Baldwin City police said the studio owners assisted the investigation from the start.

Om Grown says it was founded in 2019 by a group of yoga teachers and offers massage, Ayurvedic body therapies, energy healing and sanctuary amenities including a cold plunge, soaking tub and infrared sauna. Kansas does not have statewide massage-therapy licensure, which leaves hiring checks, supervision and complaint handling largely in the hands of individual businesses and local authorities. In that setting, the civil case shifts attention to whether warning signs were documented, whether complaints were escalated, and how quickly clients were protected.

The Kansas Consumer Protection Act is designed to guard consumers against deceptive and unconscionable practices, and Kansas law authorizes civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. For clients in Douglas County, the case underscores a basic expectation in wellness and bodywork settings: clear screening, prompt response to complaints and a system that stops a practitioner before harm spreads.