Board adopts consent agenda and resolves several disciplinary cases, including fines, requirements and a license surrender

The Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners used a consent-agenda procedure June 4 to expedite numerous disciplinary matters that had been vetted by staff and reviewers. Members flagged a subset of cases for discussion and approved the remaining cases as the consent agenda by motion.

Key outcomes included:

- Case 2025037181 (expired license; ~53 forensic reviews): After reviewing samples of the respondent’s reports and discussing the scope (many reports were condition assessments, some included structural comments), the board approved the recommended disposition that includes a civil penalty and a requirement to complete and pass the rules-and-laws exam. Members debated proportionality given the number and severity of reports before approving the recommendation by voice vote.

- Case 2025022141 (six-year lapse; nine projects): The board approved the recommended $9,000 civil penalty and rules-and-laws exam requirement. Staff corrected a narrative typo (respondent classified as an architect rather than an engineer) before adoption.

- Case 202506031 / 2025037681 (incomplete plans; permit/code review concerns): The board directed staff to require the respondent to submit full construction drawings for review, and it tasked a structural reviewer (board member Eddie) to examine structural issues. The board set a 30-day response period and will proceed if documentation is not provided.

- Case 2026011101 (lapse with 13 projects): Board approved a $13,000 penalty at $1,000 per project as recommended.

- Case 2026011531 (landscape-architect reapplication): The case was closed with a letter of caution/closure after staff concluded evidence showed the applicant had not been practicing as a landscape architect despite the application response; board added a caution to clarify how to answer reapplication questions.

- Case 2025050621 (representation and sealed plumbing/mechanical drawings): The respondent, now retired and unlikely to pay the assessed $15,750 civil penalty, agreed to a consent order surrendering the Tennessee license; the board accepted the surrender (a revocation-equivalent) and noted it will be reflected on the practitioner’s disciplinary record.

Why it matters: The consent-agenda format allowed the board to process a large docket efficiently while preserving members’ ability to pull items for closer review. The cases address recurring themes the board has seen — practice while lapsed, incomplete or mischaracterized plans, and inconsistent application responses — and the board used a mixture of fines, exam requirements, documentation demands, and license surrender to resolve matters.

What’s next: Staff will implement the dispositions, send demand/notification letters, and follow up on requests for full plans and other documentation per board direction.