MACOMB (MI)
Macomb Daily
September 8, 2019
By Mitch Hotts
A state licensing board has revoked a counseling license from a former Macomb County priest accused of sexually assaulting a young boy.
The Michigan Board of Counseling on Friday stripped Lawrence Ventline of the educationally limited counselor’s license for three years and issued a $5,000 fine.
The board’s action follows the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)’s summary suspension of Ventline’s license in May after an administrative complaint concerning the alleged sexual assault was filed by state Attorney General’s Office.
Ventline failed to respond to the complaint. Under the state’s Public Health Code, when a defendant does not respond to a complaint, the board is to consider the accusations to be “undisputed and true.”
“Unfortunately, the statute of limitations bars us from prosecuting Mr. Ventline for any crimes we believe he may have committed,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.