An intimate relationship with a client has cost a Saint John physiotherapist his licence for at least five years.
Robert Landers was found guilty on two counts of professional misconduct by the College of Physiotherapists of New Brunswick.
Landers was also ordered by the college’s discipline committee to pay nearly $55,000 in legal costs and expenses.
“Mr. Landers’ professional misconduct includes sexual abuse, as defined in the [Physiotherapy] Act, on multiple occasions through sexual relations, touching of a sexual nature, and his behaviour or remarks of a sexual nature towards his client,” said the committee’s ruling.
Landers also failed to maintain professional boundaries with the complainant, failed to conduct himself in an ethical manner, and failed to “end the therapeutic relationship when appropriate boundaries could not be maintained,” said the committee.
The discipline committee conducted a hearing into the complaint on March 31 and delivered its decision on April 10, according to the college’s website.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Landers is listed as the owner of Any Body Consulting Physiotherapy (ABC Physiotherapy) in west Saint John. The voicemail greeting for his office said it will be closed “indefinitely.”
Landers lost his licence effective immediately and is not allowed to reapply for at least five years.
He was also ordered to pay the college $54,600 in legal costs and expenses, including the costs incurred in investigating the matter and conducting the hearing.
The committee decided not give Landers an additional fine of up to $20,000 “given the seriousness of the licence revocation and the order as to costs.”
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