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FCLB Warns NBCE and FCLB Board Members Over Lawsuit - Denies Responsibility for Actions & Obvious Conflicts of Interest

Are Cracks in the Chiropractic Cartel Forming and FCLB Funding of the NBCE About to End?

The Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) sent a letter to FCLB Delegates and state regulatory boards who are supposed "members" of the FCLB denying the allegations leveled against them by Keita Vanterpool, D.C.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the letter

Vanterpool is Vice President of the FCLB and is suing the FCLB, its President Carol J. Winkler, D.C. and Immediate Past President Karlos Boghosian, D.C. alleging racial discrimination after they suspended her from her position at the FCLB.

Stating the "allegations are without merit" and that the FCLB "will continue to vigorously defend itself in the litigation" the letter does not address the accusations of a civil conspiracy to violate Vanterpool's civil rights which she claims were perpetuated by Defendants Winkler and Boghosian.

Beyond the accusations of discrimination, the lawsuit lays out the highly questionable legal and financial relationships that exist between the FCLB, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) and the state chiropractic regulatory boards which the FCLB alleges are "members" of the FCLB.

CLICK HERE for more on that story

The lawsuit reveals highly secretive and problematic relationships between the FCLB, NBCE and state regulatory boards where a great deal of federally backed student loan money is used to conduct their business. So concerning are such relationships that the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) described a "Cartel" operating within the chiropractic profession with "monopoly" control over the entire educational, licensing and regulatory aspects of the profession.

Shockingly, in both the original legal complaint and the motion to dismiss, both parties freely discuss the questionable relationships between these entities and how its members move back and forth between them.

Especially concerning are the relationships to the state boards and sitting members of these state boards since these are government entities operating with tax dollars and under various state ethics commissions, rules and regulations regarding, among other things, conflicts of interest.

CLICK Here for the Motion to Dismiss

The FCLB and NBCE are both private, non-profit, non-governmental organizations answerable to no one but their self appointed Directors. They cloak themselves in a veneer of legitimacy through their relationships with government controlled state chiropractic regulatory boards all the while using student loan money to fund the bulk of their activities and pay their Directors.

CLICK HERE for more on those stories

Vanterpool, who sits on the Washington DC chiropractic regulatory board along with her appointments to the FCLB and NBCE, alleges that Defendants FCLB, Winkler and Boghosian are attempting to effectively remove her from her candidacy for FCLB President completely. She alleges "This was done in a discriminatory manner and specifically to stifle the electoral and voting process and ensure certain Board loyalists remain in power."

CLICK HERE for a copy of the lawsuit

Urging unity and a circle the wagons approach to the allegations, the FCLB letter states "the court of public opinion plays no role in the ultimate disposition of this lawsuit". The FCLB refers to its "member boards" as if a government controlled state regulatory board could actually be a legal "member" of the FCLB - a self selected group of people who attempt to exert control over all United States chiropractic regulatory Boards through their concocted, quasi-governmental status.

Lamenting the obvious media coverage and editorials being written in the chiropractic press, the FCLB paints the defendents as "well intended".

The FCLB letter also mentions the recent resignations of several NBCE Board Members over the refusal of Robert Daschner, DC, Carol Winkler, DC, and Karlos Boghosian, DC to acknowledge obvious conflicts of interests related to the Vanterpool lawsuit and their dual roles serving on both the FCLB and NBCE.

CLICK HERE for that story

In addition to running the FCLB, Daschner, Winkler and Boghosian all also sit on the Board of the NBCE. In addition, Boghosian sits on the Connecticut State Board of Chiropractic.

The four NBCE directors who resigned were:

“Although the board was unanimous in determining that conflicts of interests exist, the implications of these conflicts was disputed among the directors and, ultimately, divisive,” wrote Norman Ouzts, DC the CEO of NBCE in a letter sent to media outlets about the resignations. The rest of Ouzts' letter is a long winded marketing piece justifying the existence of the NBCE to a profession that has clearly lost its patience with these actions.

The NBCE was in the news recently after they raised exam fees for students during the pandemic and the Directors gave themselves over half a million dollars.

CLICK HERE for that story

The NBCE and FCLB are no strangers to lawsuits alleging discrimination and back room deal making. In a lawsuit filed in 2018 in the District Court of Weld County Colorado, then President of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) Margaret Colucci DC and her attorney accused the NBCE and nine of its Directors of engaging in a "witch hunt, harassment and scheme" to remove her from the NBCE Board of Directors. The deeply revealing lawsuit of the inner workings of one of the most powerful organizations in the chiropractic profession describes a series of breaches of the NBCE's governing corporate documents and applicable law that led to the removal of Dr. Colucci who was the only female NBCE Board member from May 2016 until the time of her removal from the Board.

CLICK HERE for those stories

All this recent turmoil between the FCLB and NBCE comes only shortly after they heaped praise upon themselves during their mid year meeting in 2020. The love fest between them was so overflowing that the NBCE thanked Karlos Boghosian, FCLB President for all he has done to continue to contribute to the NBCE gushing:

" . . . creating the best working relationship between the FCLB and the NBCE that he has seen".

CLICK HERE for that story

The letter from the FCLB to its Delegates and "member" boards also issues a clear threat and warning to anyone who speaks out stating its "ill advised" referring to "confidentiality and executive session limitations" imposed on them by their positions.

"Broadcasting resignations, referencing sensitive information, disclosing the existence and length of difficult discussions, and soliciting recipients of these letters to engage in continued dialogue with former members of any board is fraught with peril and must be met with caution."

In a poorly executed attempt to separate itself from the incestuous relationship it has with the NBCE the FCLB letter states:

"FCLB should not and will not interject itself in the policy issues and legal matters of the NBCE. This is especially true in that the NBCE is not a party to the litigation. FCLB will, however, make all efforts to recognize and respect the importance of the relationship between these two vital organizations."

Stating its defenses will be "calculated" the FCLB closes their letter writing:

"Your FCLB Board of Directors looks forward to the resolution to the litigation and preserving the excellent relationship with the NBCE."

Since the FCLB receives the vast majority of its funding from the NBCE's coffers its no wonder the FCLB is most concerned about that relationship.

Strangely, the letter is not signed but does include a list of FCLB Officers and Directors, including Vanterpool, on the letterhead as follows:

Jon Schwartzbauer, D.C. Executive Director

OFFICERS

Carol J. Winkler, D.C. President
Keita Vanterpool, D.C Vice President
Robert Daschner, D.C. Treasurer
Karlos Boghosian, D.C. Immediate Past President

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Lisa Kouzes, D.C. District I Director
Brian McIntyre, D.C. District II Director
George Khoury, D.C. District III Director
Karen Campion, D.C. District IV Director & Board Chair
Beth Ehlich, D.C. District V Director

ADMINISTRATIVE FELLOW DIRECTOR

Beth Kidd

McCoy Press