BC regulator keeps quiet as massage therapist facing sexual misconduct allegation registers in Ontario

The regulator who oversees massage therapists in BC has failed to tell the public which province a former member has moved to, despite the fact that the therapist was facing a sexual misconduct allegation.

According to a Nov. 20 notice from the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC, massage therapist Conan Kyle Valyear would have been suspended because of a sexual misconduct allegation, but resigned his membership a month before the College took action.

Valyear had worked in Langley and was accused of stroking a client’s groin and breasts for non-therapeutic purposes without consent, and for pressing his body against the complainant’s right hand.

In the public notice, the College states that the allegation was serious and there was a “presence of factors” that “render the alleged misconduct likely to recur.”

The College states that had Valyear not resigned his registration on Oct. 14 it would have suspended his licence.

“As there was no lesser measure that would adequately address the risk posed to the public,” the notice reads.

The notice says that Valyear has a prior disciplinary matter in which he admitted to professional misconduct in the form of “non-therapeutic interactions with a patient.”

The College doesn’t say what this prior matter was, and refused to give iNFOnews.ca information when asked, saying it was not authorized to disclose the details under the Health Professionals Act.

In the public notice, the BC College says Valyear is now registered in another jurisdiction, but doesn’t say where.

College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC spokesperson Aaron Gray didn’t acknowledge iNFOnews.ca‘s question when asked which province Valyear was now registered in.

However, publicly available information shows Valyear became registered with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario on Oct. 3.

While the BC College didn’t tell iNFOnews.ca where Valyear was now registered, it did say that it had informed its counterpart in the other province about the circumstances of Valyear’s resignation.

There was no explanation given as to why the BC College could inform the Ontario College about Valyear, but not tell the public he was now registered there.

In an email, College of Massage Therapists of Ontario spokesperson Sam Harris said it was aware of the allegations surrounding Valyear.

“(The) College of Massage Therapists of Ontario takes all allegations of sexual abuse very seriously. We are currently looking into the matter,” Harris said in the email.

According to the Ontario regulator’s website, Valyear was registered with them from 2016 to 2019, before he renewed his license in October.

The website says he’s authorized to practice, and under the heading “Public Register Alert,” the site says “None.”

It’s not clear if Valyear is working in Ontario as a massage therapist, and his social media, which may be out of date, says he lives in Barrie.

He’s not listed at either massage therapy business where he says he works.

Valyear didn’t return a request from iNFOnews.ca for comment and appears to have blocked any further messages.

The sexual misconduct allegation has not been proven by the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC.