Board hearing: enforcement staff says Hierarch submitted stamped or inconsistent apprentice completion forms; sponsor disputes allegations

Enforcement staff for the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology testified at an administrative hearing June 2 that they found repeated inconsistencies in completion forms submitted by Hierarch Barbering and Cosmetology Apprentice Academy, including apparent stamped or photocopied sponsor signatures, conflicting dates and total hours, and missing on-the-job-training (OJT) logs.

Why it matters: The board issues or accepts completion forms that qualify apprentices to take licensing exams. Repeated or systemic errors, use of stamped signatures, or falsified hour totals can undermine the integrity of the licensing process and the board's ability to protect consumers and ensure apprentices are properly trained.

What enforcement said: Addison Beach, Enforcement Chief for the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, testified that the board's licensing unit regularly issues deficiency notices when completion forms contain errors. Beach described a set of completion forms from the same sponsor that showed the signature of the program sponsor in a form that appeared stamped or photocopied, and in several instances the sponsor's signature date preceded the apprentice's completion date.

"No stamped signatures are accepted," Beach testified, citing the completion form's instructions and pointing to multiple examples in the board's packet where the sponsor's signature was identical…