Beck v. Texas State Board of Dental Examiners

This case involves a suit filed by a dental practitioner in the state of Texas against a state regulatory board and its members and staff. The plaintiff claims that the defendants improperly initiated disciplinary proceedings against him and revoked his dentistry license in an effort to retaliate against him from joining in a previous lawsuit filed by a group of dentists against the defendants. For the reasons stated below, we find that the board and its members are immune from liability under absolute immunity, and the board investigator Michael Pitcock is immune from liability under qualified immunity.