THE Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners’ public hearing regarding charges brought against Wise Owl veterinarian Dr. Joel Joseph was cut short yesterday evening. GBAHE ruled to reconvene tonight at 6 p.m.
The decision was based on a complaint made by Dr. Joseph’s attorney that a revised version of the proposed final decision was not made available to him in a timely manner. The revision of the 25-page document was presented at the time of the hearing. It was confirmed that copies of the revised documents will be distributed before the rescheduled hearing.
Dr. Joseph stated, “They have to do this rush rush. Because if they let the people know what’s going on, the people are going to know that these people are corrupt.”
Supporters of Dr. Joseph also took issue with the way the proceedings took place.
During the hearing, only 17 people were allowed in the conference room due to safety regulations. Recording devices that were found to be distracting to board members were prohibited.
“We can have 30 people from the general public show up, but they’ll only let 17 people in. So what are we supposed to do as the public if we can’t even hear what these people are doing,” stated Benjamin Schiff, Dr. Joseph's son.
In April, GBAHE suspended Dr. Joseph’s license for five years. However, the veterinarian continued to practice under the justification that the ruling must be made official with a court order.
