How do I appeal a failed polygraph?

[Misty Pyatt]

My son failed his polygraph exam yesterday with TXDPS. He was told he was deceptive in all areas. My son was dumbfounded and kept telling the examiner he did not know why he failed. He never changed his responses. He asked the examiner why he would of failed and the examiner told him well only you know that. You are very deceptive and possibly a criminal. He is 21 years of age about to graduate college with over a 4.0 GPA. He has college paid for on a full scholarship. He has never been in any type of trouble. If you know him you would completely understand why everyone is puzzled. He has done internships at the local police department and did an internship with TXDPS just recently. He has numerous recommendations letters, etc. I know some of you will say because I am his mother I am biased. I do love my child but his father and I have never given anything to him that he did not earn. His exam started at 11:00 a.m. and he did not walk out of the testing site until 6:00 p.m. He was told by the examiner that if I were you I would not apply to any federal jobs because this polygraph will follow you. He told him that he was lying about being fired from a job. He has never been fired from any job and my son told him you can look at his employment records. He told him that he committed a sex crime, he lied about drugs, and lied about committing a crime against a person or property. At the end of the exam he told him he was sending the exam in for a review but to expect a decline letter. How do we appeal this? Can he take another test?

[George W. Maschke]

Misty,

I don't know for sure whether the Texas Department of Pubic Safety has a formal appeal process for applicants who wrongly fail the polygraph, though most agencies don't.

What your son can do is to write to the person who signs the rejection letter, succinctly state that he told the truth on the polygraph (without offering any rationales for why he might not have passed), and to request a re-test.

His request for a re-test may or may not be entertained, but at minimum, it will document the fact that he didn't (through silence) tacitly accept the polygraph operator's accusation that he lied.