A Hurst massage school that was supposed to be training future therapists is now shut down, its paperwork under the microscope and its leaders sidelined from the industry.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has revoked the license of Elm Health Institute, a massage school in Hurst, and pulled the massage-therapist and instructor credentials of two people tied to the program. Regulators say the school submitted falsified academic and internship records and that multiple graduates or students ended up working at illicit massage businesses. The named individuals are barred from practicing or operating massage schools in Texas while the administrative action plays out, part of a broader state crackdown on schools and parlors linked to suspected human trafficking.
In a press release, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation said it revoked the school license and the massage therapist and instructor licenses of Petrus Evers (also known as Bas or Petrus Sebastian Evers) and Jianwen Ma (also known as Jenny or Jian Ma). TDLR Executive Director Courtney Arbour said the agency “will take immediate action when we find schools that are not adhering to state law.” The department said the revocations are effective immediately and prohibit the two from working in the massage industry in Texas while the administrative case moves forward.
What Investigators Found
When state investigators dug into Elm Health Institute’s records, the numbers did not line up. Attendance logs allegedly showed students marked as being in two places at once, listed as attending in-person and online classes on the very same days. At least one student told officials she had never attended in-person classes at all…