Hina Arora (2013)

This matter came before a Panel of the Discipline Committee on February 13, 2013.

Background

In August 2012, Ms. Arora was referred to the Discipline Committee for allegations that she submitted to employers and/or others a copy of her curriculum vitae that implied that she was registered as an occupational therapist in Ontario in 2005 when that was not the case.

The Member's Plea

College counsel submitted to the Discipline Panel a Plea Inquiry Questionnaire signed by Ms. Arora by which Ms. Arora admitted the allegations against her and confirmed that she made voluntary, informed and unequivocal admissions of professional misconduct.

Professional Misconduct

Counsel for the College advised the Panel that agreement had been reached between the parties on the facts, and submitted the Agreed Statement of Facts as evidence. On February 13, 2013, Ms. Arora was found by the Discipline Committee, based on an Agreed Statement of Facts, to have committed an act of professional misconduct, in that she engaged in conduct that would reasonably be regarded by members as conduct unbecoming an occupational therapist as per paragraph 49 of the Professional Misconduct Regulation, O.Reg. 95/07 under the Occupational Therapy Act (1991). The Panel found that Ms. Arora had submitted a curriculum vitae that implied she was a registered occupational therapist in 2005. Her use of the title Occupational Therapist, when she was not a Registrant of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, constituted an act of professional misconduct. Ms. Arora misrepresented her professional title and qualifications on her curriculum vitae by circulating a document which contained false and misleading information about her qualifications and registration status.

Penalty

The Panel of the Discipline Committee agreed that the penalty jointly proposed by Counsel for the College and Counsel for the Member, as set out in the Joint Submission on Penalty, was fair and reasonable. It was within the appropriate range of penalties for professional misconduct of this type, and serves to protect the public and upholds the standards and regulations of the profession of Occupational Therapy. The Panel considered Ms. Arora’s cooperation in the process, including her admission of professional misconduct as an indicator of her remorse.

The Panel of the Discipline Committee ordered a one-week suspension of Ms. Arora’s certificate of registration, required Ms. Arora to appear before it to be reprimanded, and ordered Ms. Arora to pay a fine of $250.00 to the Minister of Finance within 60 days of the date of the Panel’s order. Ms. Arora was further ordered to pay the College costs in the amount of $1,000.00.