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Woman accuses therapist of sexual assault
A woman is speaking out after she said her physical therapist in Mueller sexually assaulted her. She is encouraging other potential victims to do the same.
AUSTIN, Texas - A woman is speaking out after she said her physical therapist in Mueller sexually assaulted her. She is encouraging other potential victims to do the same.
Sexual assault victim speaks out
What they're saying:
After multiple surgeries on her ankle, a woman who doesn’t want to be identified, started physical therapy at a clinic in Mueller.
"Whenever you're in a medical setting, you feel extra vulnerable, and you feel like you trust everybody in that setting," the woman said.
She said that trust was broken.
"It feels very much like you're frozen, you're scared, you don't know what to say at that moment," the woman said.
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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Physical therapists accused of sexually assaulting patients
Austin police are asking potential victims to come forward after physical therapists Paul Lietz and Manuel Rangel were arrested on separate sexual assault charges.
The woman said she was sexually assaulted by her physical therapist during an appointment in early 2024. After recording a conversation with the man during her final visit in April 2024, she presented her evidence and reported what happened to the company’s corporate office. An investigation followed.
The physical therapist, Paul Lietz, was initially removed from the clinic, then allowed to return with restrictions. He wasn’t allowed to be left alone with female patients. Just weeks later, he was terminated after another patient reported feeling uncomfortable.
Dig deeper:
State records showed similar allegations at another facility in 2022, but that case was closed.
"Because it was nonspecific, there were no names and no details, they were unable to take action," the woman’s attorney, Maureen Farrell said.
Farrell said that is often how these cases unfold.
Paul Lietz, 37, and Manuel Rangel, 50
"Shame and fear prevent people from coming forward, which then makes it possible for abusers to continue the abuse of other people," Farrell said.
Her client said she wanted to try to prevent that.
"I didn't want it to happen to someone else," the woman said.
Lietz was arrested in March 2025 for sexual assault.
Austin police urge patients to come forward after two physical therapists arrested for sexual assault
Austin police are asking potential victims to come forward after physical therapists Paul Lietz and Manuel Rangel were arrested on separate sexual assault charges.
Austin police are now encouraging others who may have had a similar experience to come forward.
"I would just say be strong. You're not the only person going through this. You are not alone," the woman said.
She has filed a civil lawsuit against Lietz and the clinic where he worked.
The Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners has suspended his license and found he violated practice standards, accusing him of sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and causing emotional harm.
The woman said she has not gone anywhere to do physical therapy since.
The other side:
Lietz’s attorney, George Lobb, told FOX 7 in a phone call they are waiting for an acquittal in the criminal trial and then plan to countersue for malicious prosecution.
Lobb said they deny all allegations, and he said text messages will come out where the complainant told her friend to go see Lietz after she reported the assault.
What's next:
A hearing in the criminal case is set for April 4, 2026.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis