SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington Secretary of Health indefinitely suspended the license of a massage therapist who owned a massage school on Spokane’s South Hill.
According to the Washington Department of Health, Dylan Patterson improperly touched clients, gave a client a hallucinogen and didn’t get written permission for certain treatments.
DOH documents filed March 15, 2021 show Patterson was the owner of the Wellness Education Center on South Cowley. While working there, documents said he plucked a hair off the head of one client and put it in his mouth in order to “taste her DNA.” The client said he also gave her ayahuasca, a hallucinogen, for her personal use, according to documents.
Another client, who was Patterson’s student, said he massaged her breasts when he performed massages on her as part of her training, documents say. The client said Patterson crossed professional boundaries by contacting and harassing her friends, documents state.
Several other students reported a similar story, according to documents. During these sessions, Patterson only received verbal consent and failed to obtain written consent on multiple occasions.
In July 2020, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board ordered Patterson to refund one of the students’ tuition and fees, adding up to $8,575, according to DOH. The board also revoked Patterson’s license to operate a private vocational school due to complaints of unfair business practices.
Spokane Police Spokesperson Julie Humphreys said one police report was filed about the allegations of inappropriate touching. According to Humphreys, the complaint was investigated and prosecutors decided not to file charges.
