The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has suspended the licenses of four behavior analysts after determining they failed to make legally required reports of suspected child abuse involving a 4-year-old client at an autism treatment center in Plano.
TDLR issued emergency suspension orders on August 17 against Nicole Ercan, Amberly Bossert, Karah Pack and Alice Agyeman. Ercan, Bossert and Pack are licensed behavior analysts, while Agyeman is a licensed assistant behavior analyst.
The suspensions require all four to immediately stop providing services under their TDLR licenses.
Alleged Abuse Was Reported to Center
According to TDLR, the child’s mother contacted staff at Apara Autism Center on May 12 and reported that the child had made an outcry indicating possible sexual abuse involving two registered behavior technicians who worked at the center.
The allegation was handled internally, including a review of surveillance footage. TDLR said Pack and Agyeman notified their supervisors, Ercan and Bossert, but none of the four licensees reported the suspected abuse to law enforcement or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
The child’s mother later took the child to an emergency room, where a sexual assault examination was performed. Hospital personnel subsequently reported the allegation to law enforcement and DFPS.
TDLR said any investigation into possible criminal conduct falls under the jurisdiction of law enforcement.
Texas Law Requires Individual Reports
Texas law requires professionals who have reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused or neglected to report the suspicion within 24 hours.
TDLR emphasized that the reporting obligation belongs to the individual professional and cannot be delegated. Informing a supervisor, manager, or compliance officer does not fulfill the legal requirement, and an employer’s internal investigation does not replace a report to authorities.
“Keeping Texans safe, especially children and other vulnerable clients is our highest priority,” TDLR Executive Director Courtney Arbour said, WFAA reported. “When abuse is suspected, each professional has a duty to report directly to the proper authorities, and TDLR will take action when that responsibility under the law is not met.”
Suspensions Could Last One Year
The emergency suspensions will remain in effect for one year unless otherwise ordered by TDLR or a court.
The four professionals can request expedited hearings before an administrative law judge at the State Office of Administrative Hearings. Those proceedings will determine whether the emergency orders should be affirmed, modified, or set aside.
TDLR said the license suspensions concern the professionals’ alleged failure to meet mandatory reporting requirements. The orders do not constitute a finding that the alleged sexual abuse occurred.
The two registered behavior technicians identified in the child’s disclosure are credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and are not licensed by TDLR, according to the agency.
Suspected child abuse or neglect can be reported to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400. In an emergency, authorities advise calling 911 and then the hotline.