Decision delayed on Go Spa manager’s massage license - KELOLAND.com

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PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The state government panel that regulates massages in South Dakota, including who is licensed to perform them, now plans to wait until next month to decide whether a Sioux Falls woman should be officially disciplined.

The renewal application for HaiLing Zhang was on the Wednesday meeting agenda. But the state Board of Massage Therapy instead pushed the matter back to February 21, citing legal reasons. She is accused of allowing an unlicensed person to practice massage at her place of business, Go Spa in the Empire Mall. She could face revocation of her license. Her license was suspended at the board’s September meeting.

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The board held a disciplinary hearing in November regarding Zhang’s current license and renewal application. Lawyers for the state Department of Health and for Zhang were to provide proposed findings of fact, and board members were also to receive a hearing transcript.

State law requires that most printed material related to an agenda item must be posted with the agenda or made available to the public at least 24 hours before the meeting. None of those public documents were posted with the agenda, and none were made available Tuesday.

Hearing officer Steve Blair asked that the Zhang item be removed from the agenda Wednesday. He and the board then went into executive session for further discussion.

Afterward, board president Fallon Helm of Aberdeen told KELOLAND News that the panel will meet February 21 on the matter.

Complicating the situation is that the board and staff have been in a transition. Blair is on paternity leave. Melissa Miller, who was executive director when the Zhang case began, resigned. Kate Boyd replaced her. Lorin Pankratz, the board member who was assigned to investigate Zhang’s case and testified against her, resigned after the hearing. His seat hasn’t been filled.

A second seat on the five-member board is also vacant. The governor appoints the board’s members.

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