"Cease-and-desist order" issued against James King

Seattle Weekly/June 1, 2005
By Philip Dawdy

On May 25, the state Department of Health summarily suspended the medical licenses of Barbara Loran, a Bellevue chiropractor and naturopath who is the longtime mistress of James King. King is head of the New Gnostic Church, which former members describe as a cult. (See "The God Life," May 4, and "'Washing of the Brain'," May 18.) And King, who allegedly provided chiropractic services to former church members without a medical license, was issued a temporary cease-and-desist order by authorities.

Summary license suspension is a rare move. In this case, the state asserts in documents that Loran "may pose a serious danger to the health, safety and welfare of the public" and that the situation merited emergency action.

According to the documents, Loran allegedly had sex with patients, one of them a minor, allowed the unlicensed King to perform chiropractic procedures on patients at her clinic and in her home office, was present when King propositioned a patient to have sex with him and Loran, and shared confidential medical information about patients with King without having the patient's permission.

King and Loran could not be reached for comment. They also are subjects of a criminal investigation by the King County Sheriff's Office.