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Wesley Doak says recovery and expungement opened path to firefighting
Summary
In public remarks, Wesley Doak described how a sports injury led to opioid use, a criminal sentence and long-term treatment; he said completing an expungement helped him pursue a firefighting career and support his family.
Wesley Doak said he was once a college baseball player whose life changed after a sports injury led to prescribed pain pills and escalating opioid use. “My name is Wesley Doak, and this is what equal justice looks like,” he said in recorded remarks, framing his story as an example of recovery and reentry.
Doak told the panel that his substance use progressed to the point that he faced criminal charges. He said a judge imposed “5 years probation, 5 on the shelf,” and that he subsequently entered a long-term treatment program. "I went to Isaiah House, and I did a long term program there. I was there for 11 months. And, when I completed the program, I started working there," he said, describing treatment as a turning point.
Doak said a staff member at Isaiah House who was also in recovery inspired him by applying to the fire department, prompting Doak to pursue a similar career. He said he sought an expungement to remove barriers to firefighting employment and to provide stability for his daughter and family. "He believed in me," Doak said of the attorney who helped him, adding he is grateful for that support.
The transcript shows Doak spoke of both the personal consequences of addiction and concrete steps toward reentry—treatment completion, employment at Isaiah House and seeking an expungement to qualify for firefighting work. The remarks did not include a formal vote or agency action; they were presented as personal testimony and an appeal to recognize how legal relief can affect employment and recovery outcomes.
