Are you a licensed professional working in North Carolina? If so, protect your license if you are charged with misconduct. Recently, a client was notified that an allegation of misconduct has been made against her. This occurred when someone working for a former employer reported our client to her NC licensing board which could have resulted in her losing her professional license. Our firm represented the client in a hearing before that board. We believed strongly that our client had not engaged in any form of misconduct. We worked with our client to prepare her to help us defend her license and right to practice her profession in North Carolina.
Our firm was advised last week that all charges against her were dropped. That was a great call to receive and an even better feeling when we shared this with our client. We were so happy to help her protect her career and prove her innocence. Too often supervisors or co-workers are vindictive or try to cover up their own bad actions by alleging that a former employee has engaged in misconduct. If you are a licensed professional in NC who has been charged with misconduct or your license is on the line, don’t go it alone. Make sure that you protect yourself once notified by the licensing board of an allegation.
Actions to protect yourself:
- Ask for a written copy of the charge or allegation.
- Ask for copies of any documents in the Board file.
- Ask if you can have an attorney present during questioning.
- Do not make any statements without an attorney if you are allowed to have an attorney present.
- Retain an experienced attorney before you are charged or as soon as possible once you learn of an allegation of misconduct.