The American Polygraph Association (APA) has replied to my ethics complaint against Edward I. Gelb of Los Angeles. APA General Counsel Gordon L. Vaughan, in a letter dated 9 June 2006, writes that Gelb will face no disciplinary action for falsely holding himself out to the public as a Ph.D. Vaughan writes that "the APA does not attempt nor does it presume to govern the designation of titles or degrees conferred upon members."

As of the date of Vaughan's letter, the APA had apparently neither confirmed or disconfirmed the allegations in my complaint. However, Vaughan does report that the APA has requested that Gelb document his "Ph.D." degree. If he is unable to show that it is from an accredited institution, then the only sanction he will face is that the APA will not accept "advertisements, publications, or directory listings" that refer to him as a Ph.D. But as far as the APA is concerned, Gelb is free to continue deceiving the public.

The full text of the APA's reply follows:


Quote:

June 9, 2006 George W. Maschke Hart Nibbrigkade 22 2597 XV The Hague The Netherlands Dear Mr. Maschke: We are in receipt of your letter requesting a grievance investigation against Edward Gelb. In that letter, you state your belief that Mr. Gelb is falsely holding himself out as having earned a Ph.D. from an accredited university or institution, and request that this matter be investigated.1 Please be advised that the APA has adopted a resolution for dealing with problems of this sort: "Be it resolved that, the American Polygraph Association does not endorse or recognize diplomas or degrees from post secondary courses of education not accredited by an accrediting body routinely accepted within the academic community or appropriate government entity at the time of the award. The APA will not accept advertisements, publications or directory listings, which include a reference or title representing a diploma or degree from a post secondary course of education not so accredited. The APA understands that in some cases, such as countries which do not have accrediting organizations, this position may be overly restrictive. Accordingly, a member may seek exception from this position by presentation to the APA Board of Directors, evidence supporting completion of academic achievement supporting the award of such diploma or degree that would be routinely accepted within the academic community. The APA Board of Directors directs that should there be a question of whether a reference to a title or degree, [sic] a member may be required to produce evidence that their diploma or degree meets the requirements of this resolution before acceptance of any advertisement, publication or directory listing which includes a reference to such diploma or degree." Consistent with the above resolution, the APA has requested that Mr. Gelb provide information on whether his Ph.D. meets the requirements of this resolution. If not, the APA will not list Mr. Gelb by his Ph.D. nor will it accept an advertisement or item for publication in any of its publications which references Mr. Gelb by his Ph.D. This step is in no way disciplinary nor intended to discredit Mr. Gelb, who has provided many years of dedicated service to the American Polygraph Association and the polygraph profession. Beyond these measures, the APA does not attempt nor does it presume to govern the designation of titles or degrees conferred upon its members. No further action will be taken as to your grievance. Sincerely, [signed] Gordon L. Vaughan General Counsel American Polygraph Association cc: Terrence V. O'Malley, President Donald Weinstein, Ethics and Grievance Chair Milton O. Webb, Jr., Executive Director John E. Consigli, Chairman 1  Your reputation as an opponent to polygraph is, of course, well known and, as such, in applying to an organization that promotes the science and profession of polygraph your agenda is likely personal and not an effort to further professionalism within the organization. Nevertheless, I address the issue raised in your grievance.

A scanned PDF file of the original two-page letter, on APA letterhead bearing the motto "DEDICATED TO TRUTH" may be downloaded here:

http://antipolygraph.org/documents/gelb-complaint-reply-09-06-2006.pdf

A couple observations on Vaughan's letter:

1) I do not allege that Gelb has explicitly stated that his "Ph.D." degree is from an accredited university or institution. Rather, through his resume provided to a U.S. court, his public representations, and his advertising of his polygraph services, Gelb has striven to create the false and misleading impression that he holds a legitimate Ph.D. degree.

2) As for Vaughan's footnote impugning my motivation for filing this complaint, I would think that an organization "dedicated to truth" should be happy to receive information on unethical conduct from any member of the public with knowledge thereof. Indeed, the APA website clearly states, "The Ethics and Grievance Committee receives and expeditiously, fairly and impartially investigates all allegations of misconduct against members of this Association." If this is true, then a complainant's status as a polygraph supporter or opponent should be completely irrelevant.