In North Carolina, the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy regulates people in the massage therapy industry. The board regulates such things as issuing licenses, registrations, and certificates for individuals.
If you or a loved one is under investigation or have been contacted by an administrative agency, the first step you should take is to hire an attorney to represent you.
Your professional license may be at risk for suspension or revocation, and having a skilled and knowledgeable attorney by your side ensures your rights will be protected.
How Does a Complaint Originate?
A complaint can be filed against you by a patient or family member of a patient. Additionally, one of your clients, co-workers, or your employer can also file a complaint, along with your spouse or significant other.
The reasons for a complaint to be filed can vary but could include neglect, malpractice, incompetence, and poor treatment and care.
Can Criminal Charges Affect My Massage Therapy License in North Carolina?
The short answer is yes. If you’re being prosecuted for criminal charges in North Carolina, even if you are found not guilty, it isn’t binding on any disciplinary action taken by the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy, or the Labor, Licensing, and Regulation Board.
In a nutshell, even if you are found not guilty, you could still lose your massage therapy license.
As a result, disciplinary action could be taken for such crimes as:
- Drug/Alcohol Abuse, including a DWI
- Embezzlement and Theft
- Misrepresentation and Fraud
- A violent crime that could include domestic violence
- Allowing one to practice massage without a license, among others
Whether criminal charges are filed or not, you could be subjected to a public reprimand, high fines, probation, suspension, or losing your license. The result of a disciplinary action or a Labor, Licensing, and Regulation investigation can cause lasting effects on your license.
Even if the claim doesn’t have any merit, you should still consult the Charlotte, North Carolina law firm of Remington & Dixon, PLLC so we can help you protect yourself and your license. It would help if you didn’t talk to any investigator without having an experienced professional license defense attorney by your side.
A public reprimand by itself may cause you to suffer apparent professional damage, which could result in you losing clients, as well as current and future job opportunities.
What Kind of Disciplinary Actions Does Remington & Dixon, PLLC Handle?
The attorneys at the Charlotte, North Carolina law firm of Remington & Dixon, PLLC handle massage therapy issues that include, but aren’t limited to:
- Defense with the Licensing Board: If you have a pending matter before the North Carolina Board of Massage and the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (LLR), our attorneys can aggressively defend your massage therapy license.
- Complaint and Investigation Response: If you have a complaint filed against you, your license could be subjected to an investigation. This investigation could result in you receiving probation, suspension, or having your license revoked. When you receive a Notice of Complaint or inquiry from the Labor, Licensing, and Regulation Board or the North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy, you should reach out to us so we can assist you immediately.
- Criminal Reporting Requirements: You must report all crimes, and it could affect your massage therapy license.
- Self-Reporting Assistance: In some cases, your employer may advise you of a self-report issue. If this is the case, we can help you write a self-report that thoroughly explains your side of a situation in the proper manner.
- Forms and Application Review: When filing your application in North Carolina, it’s essential that it doesn’t have any errors or omits any vital information. This can lead to delays or the denial of your application and receiving your North Carolina massage therapy license. By having our attorneys review all the materials you plan on submitting to the board, it may give you the best shot at getting your massage therapy license in a quick and timely manner.
It’s vital that you don’t wait until it’s too late. If you’re contacted by a board investigator, you should contact us immediately so we can help you protect your legal rights.
A violation can be either ethical or procedural, and anyone can file a complaint against you that will start an investigation. The investigator’s job is to attempt to determine whether a claim is valid and whether disciplinary action is warranted.
Our job at Remington & Dixon, PLLC is to be a strong advocate for you to protect your professional license
It’s important to remember that as a licensed professional, you can also be scrutinized for documentation errors, issues around disclosing pertinent information, and conflicts of interest, to name a few.
To put it in the simplest of terms: You need to protect your professional career, and the attorneys at the Charlotte, North Carolina law firm of Remington & Dixon, PLLC are here to assist you.
