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Rel:09/25/2009

Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n t h e advance s h e e t s o f Southern R e p o r t e r . R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e R e p o r t e r o f D e c i s i o n s , A l a b a m a A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r A v e n u e , M o n t g o m e r y , A l a b a m a 3 6 1 0 4 - 3 7 4 1 ((334) 2 2 9 - 0 6 4 9 ) , o f a n y t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may b e made b e f o r e t h e o p i n i o n i s p r i n t e d i n Southern R e p o r t e r .

ALABAMA COURT OF CIVIL
SPECIAL TERM, 2009

APPEALS

2080338 The Alabama Board o f Examiners i n Psychology v. Leroy Richardson, Psy.D. Appeal from Montgomery C i r c u i t Court (CV-08-864) PITTMAN, J u d g e . The Board") Court Alabama appeals Board from o f Examiners i n P s y c h o l o g y ("the Circuit

a j u d g m e n t o f t h e Montgomery of t h e Board Richardson that to

reversing issued

an o r d e r

had suspended a practice as a

license

t o Leroy

2080338 psychologist Richardson. The the and We that reverse had the imposed other sanctions judgment. f i r s t l i c e n s e d by 2003, Youth Vacca that against

c i r c u i t court's

r e c o r d r e v e a l s t h a t R i c h a r d s o n was i n 1997. was From about t h a t the

Board

time u n t i l e a r l y of

Richardson Services Campus

e m p l o y e d by the

Alabama Department at the

("DYS") as in the

campus p s y c h o l o g i s t area. During

DYS's time

Birmingham

R i c h a r d s o n w o r k e d a t t h e V a c c a Campus, he f r e q u e n t l y a r r a n g e d for "tours" of the might campus later for local to youth crime. whose behavior those often

suggested

they

turn

During

" t o u r s , " v i s i t i n g young p e o p l e 10 fitted with metal

t o 15 y e a r s o l d were

l e g s h a c k l e s ; t h e y were a l s o and

intermingled

w i t h the r e s i d e n t p o p u l a t i o n c h o r e s and

r e q u i r e d t o p e r f o r m t h e same including also to for the

t o u n d e r g o many o f t h e same e x p e r i e n c e s , as the resident population. of The those

punishments, reflects that

record tours was

the

o s t e n s i b l e purpose

convince the

young v i s i t o r s t h a t c h a n g i n g t h e i r b e h a v i o r

t h e b e t t e r w o u l d be p r e f e r a b l e t o b e c o m i n g a r e s i d e n t o f campus. During Richardson's tenure at the

campus, v i s i t o r s were and

b r o u g h t i n i n d i v i d u a l l y by p a r e n t s , s c h o o l a d m i n i s t r a t o r s ,

2

2080338 o t h e r s , and t h e v i s i t o r s w o u l d t y p i c a l l y s p e n d anywhere
1

from

two t o e i g h t h o u r s i n s i d e t h e s e c u r e f a c i l i t y .

With

specific

r e f e r e n c e t o t h o s e campus v i s i t s , t h e B o a r d c h a r g e d R i c h a r d s o n with failing to conduct to initial the and assessments informed failing of the of "tour" their and by

visitors, parents

failing or legal

obtain

consent to

guardians,

produce identified

maintain documentation the the

o f h i s work, p r a c t i c e s

B o a r d as b e i n g i n v i o l a t i o n o f A l a b a m a s t a t u t e s g o v e r n i n g practice of psychology. The Board's administrative law

judge

("ALJ") r e v i e w e d t e s t i m o n i a l

e v i d e n c e f r o m an

earlier program.

Alabama P e r s o n n e l Board h e a r i n g r e l a t e d t o t h e " t o u r "

The A L J s u b m i t t e d p r o p o s e d f i n d i n g s o f f a c t and c o n c l u s i o n s o f law to the Board, and the Board adopted the ALJ's

r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s and i m p o s e d

s a n c t i o n s on R i c h a r d s o n .

P u r s u a n t t o A l a . Code 1975,

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Alabama Law