Kansas revokes license of chiropractor convicted of dozens of sex crimes

MANHATTAN, Kan. (KCTV) - The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has revoked the license of Manhattan chiropractor Clark Petersen, convicted in 2025 of dozens of sex crimes.

The Board says it voted unanimously to revoke Petersen’s license on Monday, July 6.

The Conviction

Petersen, who practiced in Manhattan as a chiropractor for 40 years, was convicted in September 2025 in Riley County of 46 felonies and 5 Class A misdemeanors, according to court records.

Documents show his convictions include 4 counts of rape, 1 count of aggravated criminal sodomy, and 40 counts of aggravated sexual battery.

Court records also note that the crimes were committed against multiple patients between 2017 and 2022 - during the period Petersen held an active Kansas chiropractic license.

Currently, he is serving 27 years and 6 months in prison at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

The Charges: A Pattern Across Multiple Victims

Records filed in Riley County District Court reveal the scope and duration of the alleged conduct. The charges span multiple victims across several years, with some victims named in multiple counts.

According to the amended criminal complaint filed in August 2025, the charges include:

• Rape (4 counts): Petersen was charged with raping multiple patients, including incidents alleged to have occurred twice in the second half of 2017, in August 2020 and in July 2022 - each described as non-consensual sexual intercourse committed by force or fear. This is also a severity level 1 person felony.
• Aggravated Criminal Sodomy (1 count): Petersen was charged with committing sodomy without consent against a patient in March, 2020, under circumstances when the victim was overcome by force or fear. This is also a severity level 1 person felony.
• Aggravated Sexual Battery (40 counts): The bulk of the charges involve non-consensual touching of patients with the intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires, committed under circumstances when victims were overcome by force or fear. These charges - severity level 5 person felonies - span multiple victims and dates ranging from 2017 through 2022. Several victims appear in multiple counts, with some alleged incidents occurring on a near-monthly basis over extended periods.
• Sexual Battery (5 Class A misdemeanor counts): Additional charges of non-consensual touching were filed against Petersen involving multiple patients, including incidents in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

The original complaint was filed in August 2023, according to court documents. The case was later expanded significantly - the amended complaint added dozens of additional counts and named additional victims.

Court records show that the victims identified in court documents span a wide range of birth years - from 1950 to 1987 - suggesting the conduct affected patients of varying ages.

The Board Hearing

The KSBHA’s Disciplinary Panel says it filed a petition to revoke Petersen’s license in September 2025 - nearly a dozen days after his conviction. The Board conducted a formal hearing on April 10, 2026.

Officials note that Petersen appeared by video from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility. Several Board members and staff were recused from the proceedings.

At the hearing, KSBHA says Petersen testified on his own behalf. He told members he had practiced in Manhattan for 39 years and said that prior to 2021, he had no allegations of misconduct and had never faced criminal charges.

Petersen testified that he voluntarily closed his practice in September 2023 - before his trial - saying he did so to limit further damage to his reputation and the reputation of the chiropractic profession, according to KSBHA.

He said he transferred his patient records to another licensed provider and has not practiced since, KSBHA records show. His license, which had been active from January 2017 through February 2024, lapsed in 2025 when he allowed it to expire - citing his upcoming trial, the closure of his office and his inability to practice.

The Board says Petersen also asked it to stay proceedings until his criminal appeal is fully resolved. The Board rejected that request.

The Board also says it issued a Qualified Protective Order in November 2025, governing the use and disclosure of the protected health information in the case. That order remains in effect.

The Legal Argument

KSBHA records reveal that Petersen’s defense mounted a legal challenge to the Board’s authority to act while his appeal is pending.

His attorneys argued that under Kansas case law, a criminal conviction is not considered “final” until all appeals are exhausted and the time for any rehearing or final review has passed - and therefore, the mandatory license revocation statute should not yet apply.

The Board adds that it disagreed.

Kansas law requires the Board to revoke a license following a felony conviction unless a two-thirds majority of members determines, by clear evidence, that the licensee does not pose a threat to the public and has been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant public trust.

The Board says it found that the statute requires only a conviction - not a final, appeal-exhausted conviction - to trigger mandatory revocation proceedings.

In its written order, the Board cites a Kansas Supreme Court precedent in which an attorney convicted of a federal felony was suspended from practicing law while his appeal was still pending.

The Board notes that it applied the same logic: Petersen’s convictions stand, his imprisonment continues and the mandatory revocation of his license remains in effect unless and until an appellate court modifies those convictions.

The Board says it made no finding that Petersen posed no public threat or had been sufficiently rehabilitated - the two conditions that could have allowed the Board to spare his license. The revocation was unanimous.

The Appeal

Court records show that Petersen filed a Notice of Appeal in November 2025, with the Kansas Court of Appeals. In his testimony before the KSBHA, he maintained that he was convicted of crimes he did not commit.

His appeal remains pending. Under the Board’s order, the revocation of his license will remain in place unless an appellate court modifies his underlying criminal convictions.

The Board indicates that Petersen was given 15 days from service of the Final Order to petition reconsideration, and 30 days to seek judicial review in district court.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit RAINN.org.