Is a consent decree between the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry and a practicing hygienist without a license a public record?

• A. No.
• B. Yes.
• C. Only if ordered by a court.
• D. Not publicly available.

Answer: (A)

Public records rules apply to how the state handles disciplinary actions and settlements involving licensed professionals, but they don’t automatically turn every board action into a public record when the subject isn’t licensed. A consent decree is a settlement that resolves allegations with the board, but if the person involved does not hold a license, there is no licensing action to publish in the same way as discipline against a licensed hygienist or dentist.

Because the individual is unlicensed, the board’s involvement is not a formal license discipline case, so the document is not treated as a public record in the same sense. The record can remain confidential to protect privacy and to avoid unnecessary exposure of individuals who are not licensed, unless there’s a specific statutory or court-based exception that requires disclosure.

Keep in mind that if the matter involved a licensed practitioner or if a court orders disclosure, those records would be public. But for a consent decree with an unlicensed hygienist, it is not considered a public record.