Black v. Ohio State Board of Psychology

825 N.E.2d 1192, 160 Ohio App. 3d 91, 2005 Ohio 1449
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 29, 2005
DocketNo. 04AP05-491.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 825 N.E.2d 1192 (Black v. Ohio State Board of Psychology) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Black v. Ohio State Board of Psychology, 825 N.E.2d 1192, 160 Ohio App. 3d 91, 2005 Ohio 1449 (Ohio Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

*93 McCormac, Judge.

{¶ 1} Appellant, Virginia Black, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist, appeals from the judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas that affirmed the permanent revocation of her license to practice psychology by appellee, the State Board of Psychology of Ohio (“the Board”)- On January 22, 2001, the Board received a complaint against appellant. The Board mailed a notice of opportunity for a hearing to appellant on September 16, 2002. Appellant timely requested a hearing; however, she subsequently filed a written request with the Board to rescind her request for a hearing. A hearing was held on March 21, 2003, which appellant did not attend. The Board issued an order revoking appellant’s license to practice psychology. Appellant appealed to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, pursuant to R.C. 119.12, and the court affirmed the Board’s order.

{¶ 2} Appellant filed a notice of appeal and raises the following assignments of error:

1. The trial court erred by concluding that a licensee who timely requests a Chapter 119 hearing and later withdraws that request is precluded from presenting evidence at the formal hearing.
2. The trial court erred by affirming a board’s order that is arbitrary, unreasonable, unduly harsh, and is not supported by rehable, probative and substantial evidence, and is not in accordance with law.
3. The trial court erred by failing to consider the entire record of the proceedings below pursuant to Revised Code 119.12.

{¶ 3} By the first assignment of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred by concluding that a licensee who timely requests a hearing and later withdraws that request is precluded from presenting evidence at the hearing. R.C. 119.12 provides the standard of review for the common pleas court as follows: “The court may affirm the order of the agency complained of in the appeal if it finds, upon consideration of the entire record and such additional evidence as the court has admitted, that the order is supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law. In the absence of such a finding, it may reverse, vacate, or modify the order or make such other ruling as is supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence and is in accordance with law.”

{¶ 4} In Lorain City Bd. of Edn. v. State Emp. Relations Bd. (1988), 40 Ohio St.3d 257, 260-261, 533 N.E.2d 264, the Supreme Court of Ohio set forth the standard of review for an appellate court as follows:

*94 In reviewing an order of an administrative agency, an appellate court’s role is more limited than that of a trial court reviewing the same order. It is incumbent on the trial court to examine the evidence. Such is not the charge of the appellate court. The appellate court is to determine only if the trial court has abused its discretion. An abuse of discretion * * implies not merely error of judgment, but perversity of will, passion, prejudice, partiality, or moral delinquency.’ State, ex rel. Commercial Lovelace Motor Freight, Inc., v. Lancaster (1986), 22 Ohio St.3d 191, 193, 22 OBR 275, 489 N.E.2d 288. Absent an abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court, a court of appeals must affirm the trial court’s judgment. See Rohde v. Farmer (1970), 23 Ohio St.2d 82, 52 O.O.2d 376, 262 N.E.2d 685.
The fact that the court of appeals, or this court, might have arrived at a different conclusion than did the administrative agency is immaterial. Appellate courts must not substitute their judgment for those of an administrative agency or a trial court absent the approved criteria for doing so.

{¶ 5} On questions of law, however, the common pleas court does not exercise discretion and the court of appeals review is plenary. Univ. Hosp., Univ. of Cincinnati College of Medicine v. State Emp. Relations Bd. (1992), 63 Ohio St.3d 339, 587 N.E.2d 835, paragraph one of the syllabus.

{¶ 6} Appellant argues that the Board denied her a meaningful opportunity to be heard by not allowing her to participate in the administrative hearing and thereby denied her right to due process. The trial court found that since appellant had rescinded her request for a hearing, she waived her right to a hearing and to participate in the hearing.

{¶ 7} “The fundamental requirement of procedural due process is notice and hearing, that is, an opportunity to be heard.” Korn v. Ohio State Med. Bd. (1988), 61 Ohio App.3d 677, 684, 573 N.E.2d 1100, citing Luff v. State (1927), 117 Ohio St. 102, 157 N.E. 388. To comply with due process in an administrative proceeding, which revokes an individual’s license to practice a profession, notice and a hearing are necessary. Korn at 684, 573 N.E.2d 1100, citing Jewell v. McCann (1917), 95 Ohio St. 191, 116 N.E. 42. In Goldman v. Ohio State Med. Bd. (1996), 110 Ohio App.3d 124, 129, 673 N.E.2d 677, this court stated:

From a due process standpoint, something more than reliance on the preliminary investigative reports of the agency must be considered by the board before a license may be revoked such as in this case. The procedural safeguards which would make any hearing meaningful may not require a full adversarial and evidentiary proceeding, but some sort of reliable evidentiary review, including the sworn testimony of the investigator, as well as a more considered review of the circumstances of the case, would be needed to fulfill the requirement for a hearing under R.C. 4731.22.

*95 {¶ 8} R.C. 119.06 provides that, with few exceptions, no adjudication order of an agency shall be valid unless an opportunity for a hearing is provided to the licensee and a hearing is conducted to consider evidence before making the adjudication order. See Goldman, 110 Ohio App.3d at 128, 673 N.E.2d 677. However, if the licensee does not file a written request for a hearing within 30 days of the mailing of the notice, then the licensee waives the right to participate in the formal hearing. R.C. 119.07; Goldman at 129, 673 N.E.2d 677. “A waiver is a voluntary relinquishment of a known right. * * * It applies generally to all personal rights and privileges.” Chubb v. Ohio Bur. of Workers’ Comp.

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Bluebook (online)
825 N.E.2d 1192, 160 Ohio App. 3d 91, 2005 Ohio 1449, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/black-v-ohio-state-board-of-psychology-ohioctapp-2005.