Tait Funeral Home director Brian Tait has had his license to practice funeral directing suspended for six months by the state health department, the result of his 2012 guilty pleas to two misdemeanors stemming from his arrest for subjecting a number of his female employees to inappropriate physical exams.
Tait, who posted the news on his funeral home’s website on July 1, wrote, “While it was not a part of my plea agreement at the time, the health department has the right to suspend my license. In no way will this affect the day to day operations or the ministry we provide to families before, during and after their time of need.”
Tait stated that Ronald McDermott, who has been with the funeral home for more than 15 years, will step in as the licensed manager and will handle the day-to-day funeral home business along with Morgan Cowherd, the registered resident funeral director.
“The suspension allows me to continue to maintain the facility, but prohibits me from the practice of funeral directing,” Tait wrote. “As I embark on this hiatus, I am looking forward to spending this time with my family.”
Tait was arrested by New York State Police in October 2011 and charged with seven misdemeanor counts for subjecting a number of his female employees to inappropriate physical exams. Tait accepted a plea bargain in July 2012, answering to one count of third-degree sexual abuse, a Class B misdemeanor, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a Class A misdemeanor.
At his sentencing in September 2012, Tait was given three years of probation, and was ordered to submit to unscheduled inspections of his residence and personal computer, abide by a curfew, pay restitution to one of the victims and undergo sex offender counseling. He was not required to register as a sex offender and was allowed to continue as a licensed funeral director.
“I am pleased that the New York State Department of Health has taken some action against Brain Tait, but I feel that a six-month suspension of his license is yet just another slap on the wrist, similar to the sentencing in the criminal case,” said the mother of one of Tait’s victim’s, who requested anonymity. “My daughter really wants to see justice done here, and she felt that did not happen in the criminal case. She was very disappointed in the [suspension] result.”
Calls to the state department of health regarding how the suspension decision came about and why it took 18 months to occur were not returned.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
