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Three Iowa Counselors Face Licensing-Board Sanctions for Sexual Improprieties
Three Iowa counselors or social workers are facing licensing-board sanctions related to alleged sexual improprieties.
Kyle Grimm
Kyle Grimm, a mental health counselor from Indianola, has been charged by the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science with four counts of failure to comply with the American Counseling Association’s code of ethics. The charges are specifically related to avoiding harm to a client and having an inappropriate sexual or romantic relationship with a client. Grimm is also charged with unethical conduct, engaging in sexual activities or sexual contact with a client’s or former client’s relative, and knowingly making misleading or untrue representations in the practice of the profession.
Ronda Latta
Ronda Latta, a mental health counselor in Sioux City, has been charged by the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science with engaging in sexual activities with a former client within five years of terminating the counselor-client relationship. However, the specific alleged conduct that gave rise to the charges by the board are being kept confidential pursuant to a 2023 Iowa Supreme Court order that applies to all Iowa licensing boards.
James Burkhalter
In an unrelated matter, the Iowa Board of Social Work recently suspended the social-work license of James Burkhalter of Iowa City, who was previously charged with violating regulations related to the practice of social work.
Court records show that in August, the University of Iowa police were granted a search warrant for Burkhalter’s phone. A police detective told the court that a former patient of Burkhalter’s at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics had claimed late last year to have had sex with Burkhalter while he was still her therapist. According to the search warrant application, Burkhalter denied the allegations and kept his job at UIHC. However, in April 2023, Burkhalter allegedly contacted the woman again, despite hospital instructions to avoid further contact with her.
The police detective provided text messages from the alleged victim’s phone, showing conversations between her and Burkhalter. In the messages, Burkhalter allegedly wrote, “Let’s f—!,” and continued with more explicit discussion.
Burkhalter’s license suspension will remain in effect until a board-approved evaluator determines he can practice safely. He must also complete an educational course on professional boundaries. If and when his license is reinstated, it will be subject to three years of probation and on-site monitoring. However, there’s no public record of any criminal charges being filed in the Burkhalter case.
