The behaviour of a registered massage therapist in Maple Ridge is under the microscope following an investigation by the professional regulatory body that oversees the profession.
Jeremy Jakobsze will be facing a hearing in December following a citation by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC), that alleges he committed professional misconduct, violating the college’s code of ethics.
The discipline committee will be examining Jakobsze’s conduct after an incident that took place on June 3, 2020, when he had an altercation with a prospective female patient.
An online review was then posted by that person about their experience.
Jakobsze alleges the whole incident was the result of a dental hygienist who refused to wear a mask when accessing services at the massage clinic.
When reached by The News by phone, he explained that in June 2020, there was a mask policy at the clinic. The dental hygienist, who had an appointment, arrived at the clinic and “decided not to read about seven mask warnings (that say) you needed to bring one with you, because we couldn’t buy one in Canada at that point,” he said.
He said that people in the dental profession had masks available to them at work, unlike massage therapists, who fell outside of essential services at that time.
“So, she refused to bring one. Came to the clinic. Forced her way into the clinic. Was told to leave by the owner. Then I showed up. She tried to force her way into the clinic again. I told her to stay in the hallway, and then I told her I couldn’t treat her, because she didn’t have a mask,” Jakobsze claimed.
“So she had a mental health break. She posted one Google review and edited it twice, I think it was, where she alleged that I was yelling and screaming at her in the hallway,” he said.
Which he claims he didn’t, adding that he has a witness to back him up. He admits that he filed a complaint with the regulatory body that oversees dental hygienists, and sent a complaint to the woman’s workplace.
That’s when, he said, he received information from the college about disciplinary action against him.
A notice of disciplinary actions posted by the college online said that Jakobsze responded to the review, making statements about the woman, “for which he had no legitimate professional purpose of justification.”
On June 4, 2020, he complained to the woman’s regulatory body about her, alleging she had engaged in “trespassing,” “negligence,” “theft,” “gender-based harassment,” and “professional misconduct” against him. He also claimed she had violated the Criminal Code.
In July 2020, he contacted the woman’s employer and told the employer that she had mental health issues and may pose a risk to others.
The notice went on to allege that on Oct. 20, 2020, he wrote to a representative of the Health Professions Review Board, accusing the woman of “hate speech,” that she had made “false allegations” against him, and that there was, “substantial cause for concern regarding [her] mental health.”
Jakobsze also complained to the RCMP about the woman, “alleging that she had engaged in hate speech toward him.”
Then, between Aug. 31, 2020 and Dec. 10 2020, after the initiation of the investigation into the incidents by the Inquiry Committee of the College, the college alleges he communicated with their staff in an unprofessional manner.
The college then listed six examples of his behaviour – five were through email correspondence with college staff and investigators, and the other was while completing his registration renewal declaration with the college for 2021.
READ ALSO: B.C. RMT suspended for not wearing a mask after confirmed by undercover clients
The first email dated Aug. 31, 2020, he referred to a college investigator as an “unprofessional investigator” and in another email dated Nov. 4, 2020, he suggested a college staff member had a “mental delay.”
In a Nov. 5, email, he accused the same staff member as having “sexist motives,” of spreading “slanderous garbage” about him, and for having “allow[ed] coercion and slander” to be carried out against him. He also suggested that same staff member had been “touched” as a child.
Another email dated Nov. 5, addressed to a different college staff member, Jakobsze accuses them of being an “accomplice,” saying “get your head straight.”
Then on Nov. 20, in an email to the college’s external legal counsel, he referred to the governing body’s investigation process as a “kangaroo court,” and suggested the legal counsel was a “criminal.”
While completing his 2021 registration renewal with the college on Dec. 10, 2020, he accused college staff and the inquiry committee of “abuse of power” and “hate crimes.”
Jakobsze received a citation from the college registrar on Nov. 3, 2021, for the hearing that is scheduled to take place starting at 9:30 a.m. each day from Dec. 12 to 16, 2022.
ALSO: B.C. care providers say masks, medical supplies ‘drying up’ due to COVID-19 concerns
“They kind of stepped in it,” Jakobsze said to The News.
He said the only reason why the college is making this public right now is because it appears that they are going to lose a privacy commission’s complaint he has against them.
“The problem is that they have made many errors, many errors,” he said, claiming they have not only aided false complaints to go through, but that the college has sexist motives in how they’ve abused male therapists in the profession.
Jakobsze claims that the dental hygienist admitted to making a false claim in the investigation report by the college.
“Yet the college didn’t dismiss the case and instead amalgamated the complaints as a way of punishing me for standing up for my rights,” he said.
He said that what happened is something that he is not ashamed of and that he has all the documents to prove how the college is altering the narrative.
The notice that the college posted is its attempt to deflect negligence for a “breach of trust to the public,” he continued.
“If they can get there first and say it publicly, the public generally tends to believe a regulatory body prior to any sort of evidence being released.”
“We’ll see what happens,” he said about attending the hearing.
Eric Wredenhagen, registrar and CEO of the CMTBC, said he cannot comment at this time because the matter is scheduled for hearing.
“The process has to run its course before I can make any public comment,” said Wredenhagen.
Wredenhagen did confirm the college is still waiting for a ruling on Jakobsze’s submission to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C.
The college does note that, “citations by the Inquiry Committee under section 37 of the Health Professions Act contain allegations that remain unproven unless admitted by the registrant or determined by the Discipline Committee.”
Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.