North Texas massage school license revoked over fraud, human trafficking ties
.png "A North Texas massage school’s license was revoked after investigators found falsified academic records and links to massage parlors closed for human trafficking, officials said.")
A North Texas massage school’s license was revoked after investigators found falsified academic records and links to massage parlors closed for human trafficking, officials said on Wednesday.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation revoked the license of ELM Health Institute LLC, at 1212 Melbourne Road in Hurst, according to a news release.
The massage therapist and therapy instructor licenses of Petrus Evers, also known as Bas Evers or Petrus Sebastian Evers; and Jianwen Ma, also known as Jenny Ma or Jian Ma, were also revoked, the release stated.
Evers and Ma will not be allowed to work as massage therapists or instructors or operate massage schools in Texas, according to the release.
The owners allegedly falsified academic and internship records that were submitted to the department of licensing as part of students’ applications for massage therapist licenses, officials said.
“Texas requires students to attend class in person for at least 250 hours of the minimum 500 hours needed for graduation and they must also complete a 50-hour internship class in person,” according to the release
Investigators found that the school submitted contradictory attendance records indicating students attended classes both in person and online on the same day. “At least one student told investigators that she had attended no classes in person,” the release stated.
The licensing department also found cases where the institute’s students and graduates were working at illicit message parlors that have been closed due to evidence of human trafficking at those establishments, the release stated.
“The department also discovered other connections to the illicit massage industry,” according to the release.
“Massage schools are expected to uphold rigorous educational standards to ultimately protect the health and safety of Texas consumers,” Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Executive Director Courtney Arbour said in the release. “We will take immediate action when we find schools that are not adhering to state law.”