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Abstract: 

Intimate personal relationships between a prison inmate and a prison employee are generally forbidden by the employee’s contract and administrative rules. In Nigl v. Jess, 2020 WL 5802523 (W.D. Wisc.), plaintiff Sandra Nigl (formerly Johnston), is (and was) a licensed psychologist. Plaintiff began work in Wisconsin a few years before being licensed. She provided mental health services to mentally ill inmates, but she emphatically claimed that while she scheduled professional time with inmate Nigl, she did not provide treatment to him. Nigl and Johnston would fall in love and eventually marry. Psychologist (now) Nigl forfeited her employment and had her psychological license suspended for one year. Ms. Nigl resigned her position claiming unconstitutional retaliation by staff generated the resignation. We examine the court’s reasonable opinion here.

Keywords: Nigl v. Jess

Affiliations:  1: Executive Editor.