Michigan seeks to pull rapist's psychologist license

LANSING — A repeat rapist who lied on his state application has been a licensed psychologist in Michigan for more than 20 years, the State of Michigan says in a complaint laying the groundwork to remove his license.

Francis John Deisler, who is based in Indiana but has also worked in Michigan under a limited license, has convictions for rape in Wisconsin in 1973 and 1974, plus a 1973 conviction for armed robbery and multiple 1974 convictions for burglary and attempted burglary, according to an administrative complaint filed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs on May 7.

In his 1993 application for a Michigan psychologist's license, Deisler, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison, said he had never been convicted of a crime and provided an inaccurate birth date and social security number, the complaint alleges.

Deisler could not be reached for comment, but an attorney representing an association Deisler founded said Deisler has always presented himself as a product of rehabilitation and has not tried to hide his criminal past.

Michigan now does background checks on applicants for psychologist licenses but that practice didn't start until 2008, said Jason Moon, a spokesman for the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. There had been no complaints against Deisler until a recent one that led to the state complaint, he said.

Deisler's actions demonstrate a lack of good moral character and fraud or deceit in obtaining a license, which are grounds for removing the license under the Public Health Code, the complaint alleges.

Deisler has 30 days from the time of the complaint to file a written response and could request a hearing, Moon said.

"If he fails to do so it will be treated as an admission of the allegations and the complaint will be sent directly to the (Michigan Board of Psychology's) disciplinary subcommittee for imposition of an appropriate action," the complaint says.

Deisler also was the subject of a recent complaint in Indiana, where he holds a social worker license since 1992 and a marriage and family therapist license since 1993. A March complaint against Deisler alleged he changed his name to Frank John Palani in 1999 and didn't notify the state. The licensing board there issued him a letter of reprimand, a spokesman for the Indiana Attorney General's Office said Wednesday.

Deisler formerly served as president of the National Association of Forensic Counselors in Ft. Wayne, Ind., and has offered training and certification to sex offender counselors around the country, according to court records.

David Keesling, an attorney for the association, said Deisler has not been connected with the National Association of Forensic Counselors since 2008. The association is now headed by Deisler's wife, Karla Taylor, he said.

According to a 1988 article in the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel, Dreisler owned the Life Skills Counseling Center in Ft. Wayne and had acknowledged his extensive criminal record.

"If people believe you can be rehabilitated and get well, then what I'm doing shouldn't be a problem," Deisler was quoted as saying in the 1988 article. If people in the mental health field "don't believe that, then they shouldn't be doing what they're doing for a living."

A 2014 California lawsuit against Deisler, the National Association of Forensic Counselors and other defendants, which is ongoing, allege they fraudulently provided certification to alcohol and drug counselors without authorization.

Keesling said those allegations are false and said both the lawsuit and what he said is a smear campaign against Deisler are the result of a trademark dispute between the National Association of Forensic Counselors and a group associated with the Church of Scientology.

Moon said the Michigan's Bureau of Health Care Services contacted court officials in Milwaukee in late January after receiving information about Deisler and received certified criminal convictions in March.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.