State regulators have shut down a Plano massage school they say was cutting corners in a very big way, revoking its license and tagging it with roughly $200,000 in penalties after finding falsified training records and graduates who allegedly never got required hands-on practice.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) pulled the license for the Wellness Education Center in Plano, concluded that the school turned in fake academic and internship records, and said students were allowed to graduate without the in-person clinical work the state requires. Three people tied to the program also had their massage licenses suspended, and the school’s owner was hit with a lifetime ban from the massage industry in Texas, according to state materials.
State order cites falsified records
TDLR issued an emergency order in October that immediately closed the Wellness Education Center after investigators said they discovered falsified academic and internship records submitted with applicants’ massage license filings, according to TDLR.
“Massage schools are expected to uphold rigorous educational standards to ultimately protect the health and safety of Texas consumers,” TDLR Executive Director Courtney Arbour said in the release.
Penalties, settlement and student reports
As reported by News 4 San Antonio, the department assessed an additional $200,000 in administrative penalties and noted that the Wellness Education Center had told regulators it had graduated more than 300 students…