Former Manhattan chiropractor Clark Petersen began his testimony Friday afternoon in Riley County District Court, in a trial that charges him with numerous counts of sex crimes against 19 women who were former patients of his.
Petersen, 66, was arrested in August 2023 for 19 charges, which by the beginning of trial grew to 64 counts, ranging from rape to aggravated sexual battery to aggravated criminal sodomy. Four of the charges have since been dropped by the prosecution.
Petersen said he graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, in the spring of 1984, and became certified with the Kansas Board of Healing Arts the same year. He and his wife moved to Manhattan in 1988 and he started his own chiropractic practice in 1990.
Under direct examination from his attorney, Nicholas Heiman, Petersen described the treatments he typically gave patients, including the alleged victims, and how he changed his own protocol for chiropractic throughout his years as a practitioner to include a more “holistic approach.”
He told the jury he also acquired a certification in applied kinesiology after taking courses for about two years in Denver and Los Angeles. Petersen said applied kinesiology is not part of the core curriculum of standards taught in chiropractic school and is not recognized or practiced by all chiropractors.
Petersen said he has no certification for chakra work and never implied he did to his patients.
He told Christina Trocheck, co-counsel for the state, applied kinesiology was not included in the patients’ informed consent forms because it was “part of the whole treatment.” Petersen did acknowledge that other, more specialized treatments were included on the form.
Petersen indicated that part of his treatments come from what he’s learned from applied kinesiology, and what he referred to as “palpations” are part of his post-graduate education and original degree. He said palpations are part of his standard care for all patients.
Petersen explained that palpation is a technique that uses the practitioner’s hands or fingers to assess muscles, trigger points and problem areas through light touch on the patient’s body.
He said most if not all of the alleged victims received similar treatments and adjustments to their back, lower back, hips and sometimes legs. Petersen said contact with patients’ gluteal muscles was often required and at times it was necessary to have contact directly with patients’ skin underneath their clothing for assessment and treatment.
Petersen said, in the case of the alleged victims, it was necessary to have skin-to-skin contact under patients’ clothing toward what became the last treatments with them. He said those situations all arose after a majority of their treatment over time with him did not require that kind of touch.
He also said he never lay on any of the victims, but leaned on them with his forearms to apply pressure to their backs.
Petersen said that while some of his treatments and adjustments caused his hands to be “within a centimeter” of some patients’ vaginal areas, he denies ever having any kind of vaginal or rectal penetration of any of the alleged victims.
He told the jury that, in the case of one alleged victim, he made comments about her physical appearance because “…She looked better because she’d been losing weight.” He said he commented that she’d make a good model for an anatomy class for encouragement purposes only.
Petersen said he did text one alleged victim telling her she was a “sexual goddess,” because he wanted to encourage her confidence. “The intent of that was to attempt to make her feel like you are worthy of having relations with your husband,” said Petersen. “Just like a good uncle would do.”
Petersen maintains that no contact with any of his alleged victims was intended to be sexual. He said his standard of care did not include seeking permission or explaining his intent to touch them underneath clothing beforehand.
Petersen confirmed he did not obtain consent from patients to touch them in sensitive or protected areas. He further stated his consent forms did not include any disclosure or explanation that treatment may be underneath clothing or near the groin area.
During questioning about two complaints filed with the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, Petersen denied a statement from Trocheck that he believed his authority as a practitioner should not be questioned. Petersen said he agreed that he did not change his practices or protocols after receiving the complaints.
He also said that the day one alleged victim had someone else in the room to observe her appointment, coincidentally happened to be the one time Petersen didn’t need to put his hands underneath the woman’s clothing for treatment, after that had been his typical protocol with her for some time.
He acknowledged the victims all trusted him with their care and he understands the perceived power that may have given him. He said he instructed patients to speak up if they were ever uncomfortable. He did not say whether the victims did so.
Petersen confirmed that he didn’t give the patient records of 14 alleged victims, and some of their husbands, to Mark Hatesohl (a Manhattan chiropractor) in 2024 when Petersen’s license was no longer active.
Petersen’s testimony concluded Tuesday morning. His trial continued Tuesday with further presentation of the defense’s case and witnesses. It is scheduled through Friday.