Creating Cyber Innovations Private Investigations Education

Steve Divine | Post Office Box 29496 | Shreveport, Louisiana 71149 | 318-687-3408

Private Investigations Learning

OUR PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS COURSE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Why Creative Cyber Innovations has been suspended from offering CE courses is a mystery to us and one that we hope to explore at the September 20, 2011 Board meeting of the LSBPIE. Creative Cyber Innovations has been in full compliance with all provisions of the Training and Education policies and has never been noticed on any complaint. However at the LSBPIE meeting on July 19, 2011 Annette Kovac made a motion to suspend Steve Divine from teaching CE and thereafter Steve Divine received a Cease and Desist notice from the LSBPIE. That same day, the Board placed on their website a notice that Courses offered by the LPIA, Creative Cyber Innovations and Steve Divine were not approved.

THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW:

Both the LPIA and Steve Divine received letters on about June 8th that stated that we should take notice that:

"matters relative to non-compliance with the continuing education standards set forth by the Louisiana Private Investigator's Association ("LPIA") and Mr. Steve Divine will be taken up by the Louisiana State Board of Private Investigator Examiners at the next scheduled board meeting on July 19th, 2011 at 10:00am at the board office"

Based upon the letter of notice dated June 1,2011 that they would be discussing the issues, and the wordage above, once might believe that the LSBPIE might have considered that Divine and/or the LPIA had violated our own internal standards, but several public records requests for the nature of the complaint were not answered, citing that the matter was under investigation.

On June 13, 2011 Divine answered the notice with a letter that he would be unable to attend due to a prior commitment and that Maria Dugas, who had planned to be our of the country would be an important witness to this matter, suggesting that the date be changed to the next board meeting in September. This letter was sent by certified mail to the board office and signed for by the office manager, Gracie Smith.

Thereafter, Divine filed a public records request for the policy on how live seminars were to be conducted and learned that there no such policy, only that the course must be approved by the board.

The LPIA also filed requests with the Board office seeking the nature of the complaint or issues and each request was met with resistance from the board office. Jointly, we asked for clarification on the issues that were of concern to the Board office. No such information was provided to either of us, although the Board office has regularly made it a practice to provide details to other providers when a complaint has been made.

Information that we have now advises us that during the board meeting on July 20, 2011, Pat Englade stated that this issue first came to light by an email from Training and Education Chairman in which it was her recommendation that the LSBPIE consider restricting the LPIA's authority to hold continuing education based upon these presumed issues:

The LPIA did not use the appropriate form according to the Board
The LPIA had a speaker in New Orleans that did not qualify according to the Board
There was a claim that an open investigation was discussed at the Baton Rouge Seminar

Its confusing that Maria Dugas would have written such an email because she had been in communication with Steve Divine and Robert Weltz often regarding CE matters both before and after the Baton Rouge Seminar and not once has she raised any issue. In fact, the evidence below will show that she applauds and congratulates us for being in full compliance in advance of the rules coming into effect. To be fair, we have not seen this email, but it was reported at the Board Meeting that she wrote it and that is how this all got started.

Divine did not attend the meeting based upon the aforementioned answer, and subsequently the attorneys are reported to have failed to notice the board members that a response had been filed by certified letter. In fact, we are investigating if it is true that one of the attorney's present made a statement on the record that Divine was properly noticed and did not respond and is not here today to address these issues. Bear in mind that we did respond and the certified green card proves it.

More so, the motion to suspend Divine was made by Annette Kovac, who Divine had previously filed a complaint against for failing to comply with the standards of being licensed, (her corporation was revoked in 2003 and she remains on the board). The motion was to suspend Divine until he came to Baton Rouge to respond to the board as to the Allegations made in reference to the LPIA. One would think that it would have been wrong for a person who has a complaint made against them to set in judgment of someone, let alone cast the motion, but that's the way it rolls sometimes.

The issue of the complaint filed with the Governor's office is that Kovac and the other board members regularly deny applicants from being licensed when their corporation status is not in good standing with the Secretary of State's office. In fact, the PI law so states that if the applicant is a corporation, they must be in good standing with the Secretary of State's office. Kovacs corporation failed to remain in good standing and her authority to conduct business in the State of Louisiana under the name of her agency was revoked in 2003. Asked what the issue is, Divine states that it just seems unfair that someone on the board is holding people to a standard that she fails to meet herself. Obviously this is an issue for the Governors office to decide on because Board members serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

One would think that prior to acting in such a manner, that the LSBPIE would have provided notice of a potential violation and worked with people to address the issues. However, we intend to be present at the September board meeting and ask the Board to explain themselves.

The case is a confusing one. Basically as I understand it, one minute we are the bright ones, completely in compliance in advance of the others and the next minute, its reported that Maria Dugas recommended that the LPIA be restricted from providing CE. By the end of the meeting, Steve Divine is suspended...and then Creative Cyber Innovations, which is not even mentioned at the Board meeting is issued a Cease and Desist. Please see the a sampling of our documents below:

MARIA DUGAS CONGRATULATES DIVINE AND THE LPIA
It seems that the LPIA and Steve Divine set the bar on CE Conferences, with the Training and Education Chairman stating that our seminar is perhaps the best she has ever attended.

MARIA DUGAS COMMENTS ON THE NEW ORLEANS SPEAKERS
After the New Orleans Conference, Training and Education Chairman Maria Dugas applauds the speakers and the Seminar

CREATIVE CYBER INNOVATIONS PROGRAM IS APPROVED 2-27-2011
Our online program is approved. All Courses with no mention of any failing or problem.

BATON ROUGE SEMINAR IS APPROVED
The seminar in Baton Rouge is approved...however there is some notice provided that we should look into our speakers in the future not being in compliance with the Secretary of State--(Separately, I inquire on what authority does the board have to regulate whether or not a speaker is in good standing with the Secretary of State; especially given the fact that there are Board Members who are not in good standing presently)

MARIA DUGAS THANKS STEVE DIVINE AND THE LPIA FOR COMPLYING IN ADVANCE - 5-18-2011
The LPIA and Steve Divine were the fist providers to be in full compliance of the Training and Education Rules. This email thanks us.

MARIA DUGAS EMAIL 5-24-2011
This email is a report to the LPIA after the Baton Rouge Seminar in which she advises that she will not be at the July board meeting and advises that the only CE agenda item will be the responses to the Ethics Course.

NOTICE TO THE LPIA AND STEVE DIVINE
This is the official notice that we received relative to the CE issues being discussed at the next board meeting. You might note that it does not appear to be an official hearing, but they are providing us notice that they intend to discuss it.

STEVE DIVINE'S LETTER IN RESPONSE-ADVISING OF A DATE CONFLICT
It was impossible to attend the July 19, 2011 meeting and because Maria Dugas was slated to be out of town, I advised that I would make myself available on the Next Board Meeting citing that Maria Dugas was going to be a crucial witness.

THE LSBPIE BOARD SITE ON JULY 22, 2011

EVIDENCE SCREEN SHOT TAKEN JULY 22, 2011

Not one person from the LSBPIE board office contacted us to advise us that we had been suspended. No fax or call was received. Basically, this public notice was our first indication from the Board that we had been suspended. Then the next day, we received office notice.

CEASE AND DESIST NOTICE

OUR RESPONSE TO THE CEASE AND DESIST NOTICE JULY 22, 2011

SO THEY CHANGED IT. THE LSBPIE WEBSITE ON JULY 24, 2011

EVIDENCE SCREEN SHOT TAKEN JULY 24, 2011

Please note, that while the Cease and Desist order names the LPIA and Steve Divine, but not Creative Cyber Innovations, they have removed the LPIA from the notice on the website now. In the history of the LSBPIE, no other provider has ever been listed on the front page as being suspended.

OUR RESPONSE DATED JULY 24, 2011
Again, I requested that they remove our company name from the site.

LSBPIE TRAINING RULES
This download has the published rules and regulations regarding approval of training. While we requested information on the policy for live seminars, replacement speakers, sign in reports from other providers that would document that they are in compliance and other information from the board, the board office has not been forthcoming with responding to public records requests.

What we did learn is that there were several classes that we on the LSBPIE course website that had never been approved, and one entity that was listed as an approved course provider had not provided the board with any documents to support their program. In responding to that request for an explanation, the Board office shut down the listing for CE providers on their website.

HAS OUR COMPANY BEEN DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THIS SUSPENSION?
We believe the answer to this is yes. And while we also believe that the LPIA is not at fault on any issue, more so, Steve Divine being named in that proceeding is confusing because he only served as a contractor to the LPIA and does not vote on Association matters, nor control policy. Then, for the LPIA to be named in the cease and desist order and only Divine and his company to be listed on the LSBPIE website; its clear it's a personal attack. Governmental boards have an obligation to regulate providers in a fair and impartial manner, enforcing the rules evenly across the platform. It makes absolutely no sense to us that Creative Cyber Innovations is suspended when we have been complimented for being in full compliance...other than this is a political move.

At the end of the day, its wrong for someone to use their position of authority to abuse others.

CAN YOU TEACH?
If you have a course outline that you would like to offer on our Moodle Platform, we would like to hear from you. We are seeking course designers to partner with and offer a unique opportunity. Send us email or give us a telephone call to explore this concept.