Warning: This story contains disturbing details. A massage therapist from B.C.’s Lower Mainland committed professional misconduct when he “pinched and licked” a woman’s nipple without her consent, according to a recent disciplinary decision. The College of Complementary Health Professionals of B.C. noted that Raja Ramaswamy was already found guilty of sexual assault in connection with the same allegations in October 2023—an outcome the regulator’s discipline committee considered “binding and conclusive” for its own purposes. “This is not situation where the stakes of the criminal proceeding were too minor to generate a full and robust response, where the stakes in this disciplinary proceeding were more considerable,” reads the committee’s Jan. 14 decision. The committee heard the victim had been a student of Ramaswamy’s at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy, and that they reconnected on Facebook years later. This led to Ramaswamy visiting the woman’s apartment and giving her a massage in April 2021, during which the court found he had unexpectedly pinched and licked her on the breast. Ramaswamy denied sexually assaulting his former student, but the trial judge found his evidence was “inconsistent” and in some cases did not “make sense,” according to an excerpt of the decision quoted by the discipline committee. By contrast, the judge deemed the victim “consistent” and “credible,” finding prosecutors had proven the criminal case against Ramaswamy beyond a reasonable doubt. Ramaswamy had already surrendered his licence to practice before the College of Complementary Health Professionals’ discipline committee held a hearing over the matter in November 2025. He didn’t attend and was not represented, according to the decision, which found his behaviour constituted sexual misconduct. A panel from the discipline committee is now accepting submissions about “what penalties, if any” Ramaswamy should face, and will be delivering a decision next month, according to a public notice. If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
