Registered massage therapist Ian Glass appears in a video posted to BitChute.
Image Credit: BitChute
January 17, 2023 - 7:00 PM
A Vancouver massage therapist has been suspended for two days and ordered to pay $500 after he used his work email address to send more than 200 individuals a lengthy email opposing vaccines.
According to a Dec. 22 College of Massage Therapists of B.C. decision, Ian Glass admitted he sent a "lengthy" email to 205 recipients who were mainly patients, in which he criticized a proposed mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for health professionals.
In the email sent in January 2022, he gave his personal opinions about the B.C. Provincial Health Officer’s messages and public health mandates and made two statements about the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
"In the email, the registrant identified himself as a registered massage therapist; he did not communicate that advice or recommendations on vaccination are outside of a registered massage therapist's scope of practice," the decision reads.
Not only did Glass email more than 200 people, he also failed to protect the email addresses of his clients when he sent out an open list.
One of those patients complained to the regulator and to Glass about their personal information being shared.
In response, the massage therapist sent the patient some flowers as an apology.
"The Patient had not consented to her address being used for the purpose of the registrant sending her an apology gift," the decision reads.
Glass signed a consent agreement with the regulator admitting to his conduct.
The College suspended Glass for two days and ordered him to pay $500 to cover costs.
He will also have to do "extensive remedial education" on professional ethics and boundaries.
Six months after Glass sent the email, in July 2022 he posted a video to the Bitchute website whereby he identifies himself as a registered massage therapist and continued to criticize the province's vaccine policies.
A U.K. report describes the Bitchute website as a major platform for neo-nazi videos, racism, violence, and conspiracy theories.
READ MORE: City of Kelowna seeks injunction against anti-vax protesters
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