Will action to an Instructor from one agency prompt action from another?

[ScubaSteve1962]

I'm not understanding what PADI did wrong, if this person wasn't representing himself as a PADI instructor why wouldn't they distance themselves from a lawsuit, because lawyers are known to go after whomever has the deepest pockets. IE: If someone broke their leg in a hole in your neighbors yard who doesn't have home owners insurance but falls in your yard and names both of you in the lawsuit, are you going to say well me and Joe are best friends so I'll take the hit or are you going to let Joe know he's on his own, the hole wasn't in your yard?

Also if one has been expelled for something like letting a student die during OW, shouldn't the new agency be liable if it happened again because they didn't do there due diligence and check that person out. And I'm not one that believes in lawsuits, but sometimes they are needed to open some eyes.

 

[tracydr]

There is an "instructor" in Arizona who shows up once or twice a year on ScubaBoard. He was expelled from NAUI. I don't know the degree to which he tried to cross over to another agency, if he did at all, but in any event, he solved the problem by forming his own agency--Scuba Divers of America. He is the only instructor in that agency. Even though he has been reported as a scam many times, he has apparently been successful with it for years. The Arizona Attorney General has been notified and has elected to do nothing about it, so apparently the government has no problem with this.

Is that still around?

 

[boulderjohn]

Is that still around?

Yes--follow the link. Read it for some laughs as you see him try to pass it off as legitimate. He has about 4 URLs for his business. One of the most interesting is his online OW academic program, which he clearly says is completely accepted by all agencies. All you have to do is take his online class and take the evidence of completion to any agency and use it as a substitute for their online instruction. Of course, no agency accepts it. PADI even has a disclaimer on its web site saying that it is not accepted. Look at the advanced classes, and see that he really doesn't have any. Look at all the shops around the nation that he links to, and look at the wording. He used to say these were shops that partnered with him and accepted his training, but in fact few of them know he exists. When someone complained about it, he changed it to the deceptive wording you see there.

He also has a completely online nitrox course. People have taken it and, yes, gotten nitrox fills as a result because it looks like a legitimate card, and shops don't realize it is not a legitimate agency.

 

[udtfire]

the Inst is required by terms of all agencies to disclose such an event if not at the time of the event for that specific agency then at renewal and to the insurance co. if they are a multi agencie inst.. then the insurance co. will start and investigation and just to let you know all agencies TALK to each other its a small scuba world. a small infraction could slip thru but not a death to many of people read scuba board.

 

[Jill from Phoenix]

As a NAUI CD, I check for good standing with the current agency. Any question as to an individual's ability to instruct from a factual incident or criminal history should be brought to the agencies' attention for QA to research.

I also talk to other agencies!