Bradley v. Head

CourtSuperior Court of Maine
DecidedNovember 15, 2011
DocketKENap-09-21
StatusUnpublished

This text of Bradley v. Head (Bradley v. Head) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bradley v. Head, (Me. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT KENNEBEC, ss CIVIL ACTION DOCKET NO. AP-09-21 , : -" k f}J- l \ /I S'?}J;J n ' '

DAVID A. BRADLEY, Petitioner

V. ORDER ON RULE 80C APPEAL

ANNE L. HEAD, in her official capacity as Commissioner of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Office of Licensing and Registration and THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, Respondents

Before the Court is David A. Bradley's appeal pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 80C from

a May 6, 2009 Decision of the Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists fmding Dr.

Bradley to have committed multiple professional and ethical violations and denying

renewal of his psychologist's license.

FACTS

David A. Bradley (Dr. Bradley) is a psychologist who was licensed and practiced

in the state of Maine. In 2007, two separate individuals lodged professional complaints

against Dr. Bradley with the Board of Examiners of Psychologists (the Board). These

were consolidated and became the subject of an adjudicatory hearing before the Board on

March 31 and April 3, 2009. The Board ultimately found that the conduct alleged in the

1 complaints constituted multiple ethical and professional violations and voted to deny

renewal of Dr. Bradley's license in a Decision dated May 6, 2009.

The first complaint was filed by Ruth Buck on January 3, 2007. (SE 9.) 1 The

complaint (the Buck Complaint) expressed multiple concerns surrounding Dr. Bradley's

evaluation of Ms. Buck's eleven-year-old twin sons and certain deceptive billing

practices, including charging the Bucks through his girlfriend's Freeport salon without

authorization. The second complaint was filed by Dr. Gary Rasmussen on November 1,

2007. !d. at 110. The complaint (the Rasmussen Complaint) alleged fraud and

incompetency in connection with Dr. Bradley's assessment and testimony about an adult

male client in the course of court proceedings to terminate that client's parental rights.

Among other things, Dr. Rasmussen reported that Dr. Bradley had fabricated entire

conversations between himself (Dr. Bradley) and Dr. Rasmussen and another doctor, and

reported these false consultations in his assessment of the client.

On August 5, 2008, the Board voted to "preliminarily deny license renewal"

based on the allegations contained in the Buck and Rasmussen Complaints. (APR 67.)

The Board informed Dr. Bradley of the decision by letter of August 29, 2008, and Dr.

Bradley timely appealed the decision on September 24, 2008. On March 31 and April 3,

2009, the Board held an adjudicatory hearing. James Smith was designated as Hearing

Officer, and Assistant Attorney General Judith Peters represented the State. !d. at 2.

1 The administrative record was delivered in separate volumes. The volume containing the State's exhibits will hereinafter be referred to as "SE." The volumes containing the hearing transcript will be referred to as "Tr." The volume containing the agency procedure record will be referred to as "APR."

2 AAG Peters had also participated in and/or been present during the Board's August 2008

preliminary decision. !d. at 64.

With regards to the Buck Complaint, the Board made the following findings

contained in its final Decision.

- Fee Arrangement: Without Ms. Buck's approval, Dr. Bradley charged her credit

card for two separate payments of $500 and $570. (APR 4.) The charges were

not billed to Casco Bay Mental Health Center where Dr. Bradley worked, but

rather to "Salon Freeport LLC," a Freeport salon run by his girlfriend. !d. Dr.

Bradley himself, along with the Board's expert Dr. Thomas Collins, testified to

these facts. !d. at 6. The Board voted 5-0 that Dr. Bradley's conduct constituted

negligence in the practice of psychology, and/or violations of Board Rules, and/or

violations of standards contained in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists of the

American Psychological Association (APA principles).

- Informed Consent: Dr. Bradley failed "to provide a concise and clear statement

describing the services he intended to provide [the Bucks] on behalf of both of

their minor sons and to obtain their informed consent for those services." (APR

6.) Dr. Bradley and Dr. Collins both testified to these facts. !d. The Board voted

5-0 that Dr. Bradley's conduct constituted negligence in the practice of

psychology and/or violation of APA principles. !d. at 7.

- Use oflnsufficient and/or Outdated Testing Instruments: Dr. Bradley used the

"QEEG" test, the Slingerland test, and the O'Donnell test in assessing the Buck

twins. The QEEG test was insufficient to serve as the basis for an AAD/ADHD

diagnosis, and was negligently administered. The Slingerland test was also

3 insufficient because only one page was used, and the O'Donnell test was

questionable because not recognized by the relevant medical community. (APR

7.) Dr. Bradley testified that he "relied upon insufficient testing instruments to

conduct" the twins' assessment, and Dr. Collins testified similarly. !d. at 7-8.

The Board voted 5-0 that Dr. Bradley's conduct constituted negligence in the

practice of psychology and/or violation of AP A principles. !d. at 8.

- Record Keeping: Dr. Bradley's records were "not organized and were cryptic and

illegible. The test results were not recorded and neither was the administered

version of the Slingerland test." (APR 8.) Additionally, billing through the

Freeport salon could preclude the Bucks from getting insurance reimbursement

and breached confidentiality. !d. Dr. Bradley testified to the facts above. !d.

The Board voted 5-0 that Dr. Bradley's conduct constituted negligence in the

practice of psychology and/or violation of APA principles. !d. at 8-9.

With regards to the Rasmussen Complaint, the Board made the following findings

contained in its Decision: Dr. Bradley performed an evaluation and assessment of a

father who was contesting a parental rights termination action and put his fmdings in an

August 14, 2007 written report for the guardian ad litem in the case. Dr. Bradley then

testified to the same findings at a court hearing on October 24, 2007 to determine the

father's parental rights. (APR 9.) The Board found Dr. Bradley to have committed:

- Fraud and Deceit: Dr. Bradley misrepresented in his August 2007 assessment and

in his October 2007 sworn testimony that he had had relevant, substantive

conversations about the father's condition with Dr. Rasmussen and Dr. Kathryn

Thomas when, in fact, he had not. (APR 10.) He also misrepresented a

4 conversation he had had with counselor Robert McLaughlin, indicating that Mr.

McLaughlin believed the father had made positive progress when, in fact, he had

actually indicated to Dr. Bradley that "little had changed" and the father had made

little to no progress in being reunited with his children. I d. at 10-11. Dr. Bradley

testified to these facts, but maintained that the misrepresentations were

unintentional. !d. at 10. The Board voted 5-0 that Dr. Bradley had committed

multiple instances of fraud and/or deceit in the practice of psychology, and/or

multiple violations of Board Rules, and/or multiple violations of APA principles.

Id. at 11.

- Incompetent Forensic Evaluation and Assessment: Dr. Bradley was aware that

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