Kelowna massage therapist sued for alleged sexual touching - Kelowna News - Castanet.net

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A former Kelowna massage therapist who was fined $25,000 by his profession’s regulator is now being sued in civil court over alleged sexual touching.

A lawsuit was filed this week in Kelowna naming Robert Morgan, Kelowna Medical Massage and ABC Corporation over claims examined last year by the College of Massage Therapists of B.C.

Castanet is not naming the plaintiff, a Kelowna resident, because she is the victim of an alleged sexual assault.

In October, the College ordered Morgan to pay a fine of $5,000 and $20,000 worth of legal costs after concluding he acted inappropriately while massaging three different clients in September 2015, February 2017 and April 2017.

The lawsuit filed Monday involves the September 2015 victim, who alleges Morgan touched her breasts for sexual purposes and lifted the draping to expose her breast.

The civil claim states the plaintiff suffered psychological damage, impaired ability to trust, anxiety, depression, humiliation, embarrassment and more. The lawsuit seeks general, punitive and aggravated damages while relying on the results of the investigation of the College extensively.

In addition to the financial penalty, Morgan’s registration with the College was canceled immediately in October 2021 and he was banned from practicing for five years.

The Kelowna Medical Massage clinic where Morgan practiced has now gone out of business.

Morgan has denied the allegations for years, but the College noted he did not attend his citation hearing to contest the allegations against him.

He has not been charged with any criminal offense and has not filed a response to the civil lawsuit.