Katherin Youniacutt has a dream—to open a social work clinic, tailored to her communities and expertise. And throughout her time in school the Katherin gained experience through jobs and internships that put her in direct contact with clients and patients. She had concerns about their criminal histories, so she wrote to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to verify she was eligible for licenses. The Board confirmed she was. Although it would consider her criminal histories, it was also required by law to consider mitigating factors—such as evidence of rehabilitation. It would conduct an individualized assessment of who she was now, not who they were in the mid-2000s.
Confident that the Board would see how they turned her life around, Katherin took—and passed—the licensing exam. Then, without conducting any review or inquiry as it had promised, the Board denied their licenses due to an unconstitutional law passed by the Texas legislature that prevented them from looking at anything other than her criminal history. A permanent punishment for a one-time offence.
Katherin has now teamed up with the Institute for Justice to fight back.
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