Bridget Arrow Baker Unlicensed woman claiming to be a mental health counselor and psychologist Boston Massachusetts

THE SUN CHRONICLE

Ex-Bristol Community College employee fined for ethics violation

By Stephen Peterson | Mar 25, 2025

A former Bristol Community College mental health counselor has paid a $4,000 civil penalty for violating the state conflict of interest law through her actions as a state employee and involving a student.

The violation involved a student and counseling client with whom Bridget Baker had a commercial relationship and personal friendship, the State Ethics Commission said Tuesday.

Baker signed a disposition agreement in which she admitted to the violation and waived her right to a hearing, the commission said.

While a mental health counselor at the college, Baker provided mental health counseling to the student through the school’s Student Wellness Center from 2019 through 2022. During this time, Baker hired the student to do photo editing and formatting work for a book she was writing. Baker also hired the student to design and maintain her two websites. The pair developed a personal friendship and Baker gave the student gifts and visited potential venues for the student’s planned wedding, the commission said.

In 2020, Baker emailed a Bristol Community College professor on the student’s behalf to request an extension on course work. In 2021, Baker wrote and had notarized an affidavit on college letterhead for submission to a federal agency in support of the student’s efforts to attain a certificate of U.S. citizenship. In 2022, Baker also wrote a letter on the college’s letterhead to a Massachusetts court in support of the student securing a restraining order, citing her counseling relationship with the student, the ethics commission said.

The conflict of interest law requires that when there are circumstances, such as a personal relationship, that would cause a reasonable person to believe a public employee could be improperly influenced by anyone or show undue favor toward anyone in their official actions, the public employee may not perform such an action unless they first publicly disclose the relevant circumstances in writing and act fairly and impartially.

Baker’s actions regarding the extension, citizenship certificate, and restraining order while she was involved in a commercial relationship and personal friendship with the student violated this section of the law, the commission said. Baker’s timely disclosure would also have provided her appointing authority with the opportunity to assign a different counselor to provide services to the student, it added.

“Public employees with close personal and business relationships with their public clients risk violating the conflict of interest law when they act officially regarding such a client, as reasonable persons may question whether their official actions are improperly influenced by those relationships,” State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson said. “In such cases, the public employee must fully disclose their personal and private relationships before taking official action, or refrain from such action.”

https://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/ex-bristol-community-college-employee-fined-for-ethics-violation/article_54f097eb-8427-4f84-8d50-4041759c0374.html

Press Release Press Release Former Bristol Community College Counselor Bridget Baker Pays $4,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Conflict of Interest Law Baker violated law when she acted as BCC counselor on behalf of BCC student she counselled and with whom she had commercial and personal relationships   For immediate release: 3/25/2025

• David A. Wilson, Executive Director

Boston, MA — Former Bristol Community College Mental Health Counselor Bridget Baker has paid a $4,000 civil penalty for violating the conflict of interest law through her actions as a state employee regarding a student and counseling client with whom she had a commercial relationship and personal friendship. Baker signed a Disposition Agreement in which she admitted to the violation and waived her right to a hearing.

While a Mental Health Counselor at BCC, Baker provided mental health counseling to a BCC student through the community college’s Student Wellness Center from 2019 through 2022. During this time, Baker hired the student to do photo editing and formatting work for a book she was writing. Baker also hired the student to design and maintain her “Arrow Books” and “Arrow Wellness” websites. The two developed a personal friendship and Baker gave the student gifts and visited potential venues for the student’s planned wedding.

In 2020, Baker, in her official capacity as BCC Mental Health Counselor, emailed a BCC professor on the student’s behalf to request an extension on course work. In 2021, Baker wrote and had notarized an affidavit on BCC letterhead for submission to a federal agency in support of the student’s efforts to attain a certificate of U.S. citizenship. In 2022, Baker wrote a letter on BCC letterhead to a Massachusetts court in support of the student securing a restraining order, citing her counseling relationship with the student.

The conflict of interest law requires that when there are circumstances, such as a personal relationship, that would cause a reasonable person to believe a public employee could be improperly influenced by anyone or show undue favor toward anyone in their official actions, the public employee may not perform such an action unless they first publicly disclose the relevant circumstances in writing and act fairly and impartially. Baker’s actions as a BCC Mental Health Counselor on behalf of the student regarding the extension, citizenship certificate, and restraining order while she was involved in a commercial relationship and personal friendship with the student violated this section of the law.

Had Baker filed a written disclosure of the relevant facts to her BCC appointing authority before she acted in her official capacity as a BCC Mental Health Counselor on behalf of the student, she could have avoided violating the conflict of interest law. Baker’s timely disclosure would also have provided her appointing authority with the opportunity to assign a different counselor to provide services to the student. Baker, however, made no such disclosure.

“Public employees with close personal and business relationships with their public clients risk violating the conflict of interest law when they act officially regarding such a client, as reasonable persons may question whether their official actions are improperly influenced by those relationships,” said State Ethics Commission Executive Director David A. Wilson. “In such cases, the public employee must fully disclose their personal and private relationships before taking official action, or refrain from such action.”

The Commission encourages public employees to contact the Commission’s Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice if they have any questions regarding how the conflict of interest law may apply to them.

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https://www.mass.gov/news/former-bristol-community-college-counselor-bridget-baker-pays-4000-civil-penalty-for-violating-conflict-of-interest-law

Date: 03/25/2025 Organization: State Ethics Commission Docket Number: 25-0001 Location: Boston, MA Referenced Sources: G.L. c. 268A, the Conflict of Interest Law, as Amended by c. 248, Acts of 2024   Disposition Agreement

The State Ethics Commission (“Commission”) and Bridget Baker[1] (“Baker”) enter into this Disposition Agreement pursuant to Section 3 of the Commission’s Enforcement Procedures. This Agreement constitutes a consented-to final order enforceable in the Superior Court, pursuant to G.L. c. 268B, § 4(j).

On February 15, 2024, the Commission initiated, pursuant to G.L. c. 268B, § 4(a), a preliminary inquiry into possible violations of the conflict of interest law, G.L. c. 268A, by Baker. On December 19, 2024, the Commission concluded its inquiry and found reasonable cause to believe that Baker violated G.L. c. 268A, § 23(b)(3).

The Commission and Baker now agree to the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

Findings of Fact

1. At all relevant times, Baker was a Mental Health Counselor at the Student Wellness Center at Bristol Community College (“BCC”), an educational institution of the Commonwealth. 
2. The Student Wellness Center offers short-term mental health counseling and referral services.
3. Baker’s appointing authority was the BCC Director of Student Wellness.
4. For periods of time between 2019 through 2022, Baker provided mental health counseling and other services to a BCC student (“Student/Client”) through the BCC Student Wellness Center.
5. In or about June 2020, Baker hired the Student/Client to work on a book Baker was writing. The Student/Client’s services included comprehensive photo editing and formatting the book’s layout for publishing.
6. On July 23, 2020, the same day Baker emailed the Student/Client to reschedule a meeting to edit her book, Baker sent an email upon the Student’s request to one of the Student/Client’s BCC professors requesting an extension for the Student/Client on a research paper and other work. Baker wrote:

My name is Dr. Bridget Arrow, I am a Senior Mental Health Counselor at Bristol Community College. I am writing to respectfully request an extension of 4-school days for [Student/Client] … to submit [Student/Client’s] . . . research paper and to work out a time . . . [to] coordinate with you to present [Student/Client’s] project.

Please know that this request comes to you from my constituency of Mental Health Counseling and Wellness, and as such the reasons for making this request must remain confidential. According to college policy, we are advised to work with students who have documented reasons for requesting extensions and this falls under those auspices.

1. While working on the book, Baker and the Student/Client developed a personal friendship. Baker gave the Student/Client gifts, was asked to officiate the Student/Client’s wedding, and visited wedding venues with the Student/Client. Baker did not officiate the Student/Client’s wedding.
2. In or about August 2020, Baker hired the Student/Client to design and maintain her “Arrow Books” website.
3. In February 2021, Baker wrote an affidavit on BCC letterhead, which she had notarized, for submission to a federal agency in support of the Student/Client’s efforts to attain a certificate of citizenship in the United States.
4. In 2022, Baker hired the Student/Client to design and maintain her “Arrow Wellness” website.
5. Baker wrote a letter to a Massachusetts court in support of the Student/Client securing a restraining order.
6. The letter, dated December 17, 2022, was on BCC letterhead and cited Baker’s counseling relationship with the Student/Client.
7.  Baker did not disclose her commercial and personal relationships with the Student/Client to her appointing authority.

Conclusions of Law

1. Section 23(b)(3) of G.L. c. 268A prohibits a municipal employee from, knowingly, or with reason to know, acting in a manner which would cause a reasonable person, having knowledge of the relevant circumstances, to conclude that any person can improperly influence or unduly enjoy her favor in the performance of her official duties, or that she is likely to act or fail to act as a result of kinship, rank, position or undue influence of any party or person. The section further provides that it shall be unreasonable to so conclude if the employee has disclosed in writing to her appointing authority the facts which would otherwise lead to such a conclusion.
2. As a BCC Mental Health Counselor, Baker was a state employee as defined by G.L. c. 268A, § 1(q).
3. As set forth above, Baker had commercial and personal relationships with the Student/Client.
4. While having commercial and personal relationships with the Student/Client, Baker took official actions as a Mental Health Counselor by seeking an extension on classwork, drafting a letter to a Massachusetts court and drafting an affidavit to a federal agency, all on the Student/Client’s behalf.
5. A reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant circumstances stated above in the Findings of Fact would conclude that the Student/Client could improperly influence or unduly enjoy Baker’s favor in the performance of her official duties as a Mental Health Counselor, both in providing counseling services and in seeking additional benefits, including a classwork extension, drafting a court letter and an affidavit on the Student/Client’s behalf.
6. Baker did not make a written disclosure of the relevant facts to her BCC appointing authority prior to taking official action as to the Student/Client. Had Baker disclosed the relevant facts, her appointing authority could have assigned a different counselor to provide services to the Student/Client.  
7. Therefore, by, as described above, knowingly or with reason to know, acting in a manner which would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant circumstances to conclude that the Student/Client could improperly influence or unduly enjoy Baker’s favor in the performance of her official duties as a Mental Health Counselor or that Baker was likely to act or fail to act as a result of undue influence of the Student/Client, Baker violated § 23(b)(3).

Disposition

In view of the foregoing violation of G.L. c. 268A by Baker, the Commission has determined that the public interest would be served by the disposition of this matter without further enforcement proceedings, on the following terms and conditions agreed to by Baker:

1.     that Baker pay to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with such payment to be delivered to the Commission, the sum of $4,000 as a civil penalty for violating G.L. c. 268A, § 23(b)(3); and
2.     that Baker waive all rights to contest, in this or any other administrative or judicial proceeding to which the Commission is or may be a party, the findings of fact, conclusions of law and terms and conditions contained in this Agreement.

By signing below, Baker acknowledges that she has personally read this Disposition Agreement, that it is a public document, and that she agrees to its terms and conditions.

STATE ETHICS COMMISSION

[1] Bridget Baker is also known as Bridget Arrow Baker, Bridget Arrow and Birgit Arrow.

https://www.mass.gov/settlement/disposition-agreement-in-the-matter-of-bridget-baker