A former registered massage therapist who admitted to the profound sexual, physical, and verbal abuse of two female clients has had his certificate of registration permanently revoked by the discipline tribunal for the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. In a decision released August 5, 2025, cited as College of Massage Therapists of Ontario v. Arango, 2025 ONMTDT 23 (CanLII), the tribunal also ordered Rolando Arango to pay for his victims’ therapy and counselling, cover the College’s legal costs, and established a new, lower threshold for ordering perpetrators to pre-fund potential therapy for their victims.
The case, heard by videoconference on June 24, 2025, detailed a disturbing pattern of misconduct and abuse that left the two clients with lasting trauma. Mr. Arango, who represented himself at the hearing, admitted to all the allegations brought against him by the College. The tribunal noted that it retained jurisdiction over Mr. Arango despite his resignation from the College in September 2021, as the misconduct occurred while he was a registered member. This was not Mr. Arango’s first disciplinary revocation; his certificate had previously been revoked in 2024 for sexually touching a different client in 2020.
The first client, identified as Client 1, received massage therapy from Mr. Arango in her home between 2018 and 2021. The tribunal found that throughout this period, Mr. Arango failed to keep any clinical records and routinely treated sensitive areas, including her breasts, buttocks, and upper inner thighs, without the required written consent. During a session in January 2021, his actions escalated to what the tribunal categorized as severe sexual abuse. Mr. Arango admitted to lowering the client’s underwear, digitally penetrating her vagina and anus, touching her labia and clitoris, and performing oral sex on her.
The second client, Client 2, was treated by Mr. Arango for approximately three months in 2020. As with Client 1, he kept no records and treated her breasts, buttocks, and upper inner thighs without proper written consent. The abuse she endured included Mr. Arango touching her nipples, digitally penetrating her vagina and anus, and touching her vulva and clitoris. He also made a series of manipulative and demeaning remarks, telling her she “would never heal if it was not for him” and that she should not tell anyone about his treatment methods. He commented on her “beautiful eyes,” suggested women her age were “more liberal with their bodies,” and told her she should wear heels.
Both clients provided powerful victim impact statements that were read at the hearing. Client 1 spoke of a deep sense of betrayal and a loss of trust that has crippled her ability to seek other healthcare. “What used to feel like loving acts for my health and wellness are now reminders of violations, and broken trust, and all of these awful sensations that make me want to jump out of my skin,” she stated. She explained that she now fears physiotherapy, which has worsened her chronic pain, and left her family physician of thirty years for a female doctor because she “couldn’t move past the fear that something horrible could happen.”
Client 2 described the enduring trauma and anxiety that followed the abuse, which destabilized her sense of safety and caused her entrepreneurial business to decline. “Anxiety has become a regular presence in my life,” she said. “In the toughest moments my mind involuntarily flashes back… and my body shakes and trembles at the remembrance of his touch.” Like the first client, she no longer feels safe with male practitioners and has had to endure physical pain without treatment due to her fear. She spoke of a “spiritual wound” to her once open and trusting nature, but affirmed her identity as a survivor dedicated to healing.
The tribunal found Mr. Arango guilty of professional misconduct on multiple grounds. The conduct constituted sexual, physical, and verbal abuse and was deemed “disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.” He also contravened numerous College standards relating to professional boundaries, consent, draping, and record keeping. Given the finding of sexual abuse involving oral to genital contact and penetration, the penalty of a formal reprimand and revocation of his registration was mandatory under provincial law.
In a significant legal clarification, the tribunal addressed the requirements for ordering a registrant to post security for future therapy and counselling costs for a victim. The panel noted that past decisions had required the College to provide specific evidence that a client was likely to seek funding. Overturning this precedent, the tribunal established a new standard. It will now be presumed that a victim of sexual abuse may need counselling, and an order for security can be made without case specific evidence. This presumption can be rebutted only if the registrant provides evidence that the victim will not use the funding. The panel stated that this approach is fairer and ensures the financial burden of therapy falls on the abuser, not on the profession as a whole through College fees.
Ultimately, the tribunal ordered Mr. Arango to reimburse the College $17,370 for therapy already provided to one client. For the second client, he was ordered to post security of $13,000 to guarantee payment for any future therapy she may seek, up to a maximum of $17,370. Any unused portion of the security will be returned to Mr. Arango when the client’s eligibility for funding expires in January 2026. He was also ordered to pay the College $5,852 in costs. The tribunal approved payment plans for all the amounts owed.
