file photo of Attorney General Gurbir Grewal
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, a former Paramus chiropractor, and registered sex offender, gained approval to have his license reinstated after a years long fight to do so. The New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examiners made the decision to reinstate Bryan K. Bajakian’s license for a five-year probationary period, according to documents from the board.
This move was in direct slap in the face to Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who filed a November motion to block Bajakian’s reinstatement. In April 2005 Bajakian was brought up on charges that included attempting to lure a child for purposes of committing a sex act, knowing of or possessing child pornography and illegal weapons possession. He eventually pled guilty to two counts of luring or enticing a child, and illegal weapons possession in 2008.
His license was formally revoked in October 2010 after the same board found that Bajakian engaged in sexual misconduct with an underage patient that he spoke with over the Internet. The board also found that Bajakian used the Internet to engage in “conduct of a sexual nature” with six minors.
The Attorney General believes that Bajakian proves to be a “danger to public’s health, safety and welfare,” but he believes there were flaws in the reinstatement process.
Grewal isn’t the only state official aggrieved by the Board’s decision, as state Senators Joe Vitale and Robert Singer issued a joint condemnation Thursday.
Senator Joe Vitale, chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, and Senator Robert Singer, the ranking Republican member of the committee, issued the following joint statement harshly condemning the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners for reinstating the professional license of Bryan Bajakian, a convicted sex offender:
“This is a decision that defies common sense and ignores the safety of the public the board is responsible for protecting. Anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to reinstate the license of a convicted sex offender who preyed on children can’t be trusted to exercise their oversight responsibilities, or to even to heed their own mission statement directing the board to ‘protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of New Jersey.’
“Bryan Bajakian is a predator who should not be placed in a position of trust with patients in healthcare settings that make them vulnerable, especially children. Denying him a license should be automatic, as it is in other states.
“The Attorney General took the right action in trying to prevent the board from allowing Bajakian to resume practicing but, even he, the top law enforcement official in the state, was left powerless to deny the license renewal.
“Poor decisions have consequences. If this board can’t be trusted to make responsible licensing decisions that protect the safety of New Jerseyans, the Legislature will have to look at reforms to the board itself.”
