Minnesota psychologist loses license for having sex with student intern

State regulators have revoked the license of a western Minnesota psychologist and onetime college instructor accused of having a sexual affair with a student he taught and supervised as an intern.

Dorrance W. Larson, 65, who worked as a psychologist in Breckenridge, was directed to halt practicing in Minnesota effective immediately and surrender all licenses and certificates, according to the order from the state's Board of Psychology.

The directive was issued in a stipulation and consent order, meaning that Larson is not contesting allegations. Larson lives with his wife in nearby Rosholt, S.D. Reached Thursday, his wife said Larson was not available to comment. His attorney, John Bullis, declined to answer questions about his client.

According to the order:

Larson began teaching the woman in fall 2012 at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton and started supervising her as an intern at his clinic in January 2014. In March of that year, he told her he was attracted to her, but "they could not act on what was between them" because of "very clear" rules.

On April 1, 2014, Larson drove her from the clinic to his home, where he led her to a bedroom and gave her a bag of pornographic magazines and a sex toy. The two had sex through all of that April and into May, until the woman revealed the relationship to staff at the college.

The college fired Larson that May, citing "inappropriate conduct involving a student." Three days later, he resigned from the Breckenridge clinic. The board order also cited unprofessional conduct during a previous incident involving conversations between a female college student and teenage boys Larson was counseling.

This is the second professional sanction for Larson. He was barred from conducting child custody evaluations in April 2008. The state board in South Dakota had determined that he failed to tell a client, the mother of a child, that he later carried out an evaluation on behalf of the father. The sanction applied in both South Dakota and Minnesota, and it was lifted about 18 months later.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482