Jodi Craig (2008)
Following a hearing on September 15, 2008, a panel of the Discipline Committee of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario found that Mr. Jodi Craig committed an act of professional misconduct by:
- engaging in conduct unbecoming an occupational therapist.
Mr. Craig and the College presented an agreed statement of facts, which was accepted by the Discipline Committee panel. Based on the agreed statement of facts, the panel found that on or about July 16, 2007, Mr. Craig falsified a letter that was purported to have been prepared and signed by his previous employer, when it was not in fact prepared or signed by his previous employer. The letter stated that Mr. Craig was still employed with his previous employer, when in fact Mr. Craig’s employment with his previous employer had been terminated. Mr. Craig submitted the falsified letter to a financial institution for the purposes of trying to obtain a mortgage.
Mr. Craig admitted that his conduct constituted professional misconduct. The Discipline Committee panel found that although the dishonest conduct was not directly related to the member’s practice, it affected the reputation of the profession in the eyes of the public.
The Discipline Committee panel accepted a joint submission on penalty proposed by the College and Mr. Craig. Accordingly, the panel ordered:
- Mr. Craig to appear before a panel of the Discipline Committee for a reprimand, the fact of which will be recorded on the College register;
- The Registrar to suspend Mr. Craig’s certificate of registration for six (6) weeks, to be served on a date to be set by the Registrar;
- One (1) week of the suspension will itself be suspended if Mr. Craig prepares apology letters to Ms. A. and Mr. T. acceptable to the Registrar and provides them to the Registrar within 30 days of the date the panel’s order becomes final. If Mr. Craig fails to provide to the Registrar acceptable apology letters within 30 days of the date the panel’s order becomes final then he will serve the full six week suspension;
- The following terms, conditions and limitations to be imposed on Mr. Craig’s certificate: requiring Mr. Craig to successfully complete, at his cost, a course in ethics approved by the Registrar, within five (5) months of the date of the panel’s order; and prohibiting Mr. Craig from supervising students or provisional practising registrants for a period of one (1) year from the date the panel’s order becomes final; and
- Mr. Craig to pay to the College costs in the amount of $5,000.00 in monthly instalments over a two-year period.
The Discipline Committee panel found that the proposed penalty was reasonable and that it satisfied the principles of public protection, general and specific deterrence and remediation. The panel found that the order balanced Mr. Craig’s cooperation and acceptance of responsibility with the seriousness of the conduct and the need to maintain high professional standards.