56046
. (a) An employee of a local educational agency shall not
directly or indirectly use or attempt to use the official authority
or influence of the employee for the purpose of intimidating,
threatening, coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or
coerce, any person, including, but not limited to, a teacher, a
provider of designated instruction and services, a paraprofessional,
an instructional aide, a behavioral aide, a health aide, other
educators or staff of the local educational agency, a private
individual or entity under contract with the local educational
agency, or a subordinate of the employee, for the purpose of
interfering with the action of that person at any time, to assist a
parent or guardian of a pupil with exceptional needs to obtain
services or accommodations for that pupil.
(b) If a person described in subdivision (a), believes an employee
or agent of a local educational agency is in violation of
subdivision (a) because of using or attempting to use official
authority or influence, that person may file a complaint under the
Uniform Complaint Procedures as set forth in Title 5 of the
California Code of Regulations. If a person files a complaint
pursuant to this subdivision, the state shall intervene directly and
the conditions for intervention in Section 4650 of Title 5 of the
California Code of Regulations are not applicable.
(c) This section does not limit or alter any right a person
described in subdivision (a) may have to file a complaint pursuant to
either a governing board-adopted grievance process or a collectively
bargained grievance process.
(d) This section does not do any of the following:
(1) Limit or alter the right or duty of a public school official
to direct or discipline an employee or contractor.
(2) Prevent a local educational agency from enforcing a law or
regulation regarding conflicts of interest, incompatible activities,
or the confidentiality of pupil records.
(e) (1) For purposes of this section, "services or accommodations"
includes information that would assist a parent or guardian to
obtain a free appropriate public education for his or her child as
guaranteed by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.), or other services or accommodations
guaranteed under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of
1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794) and the federal Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.), as well as state laws
regarding individuals with exceptional needs.
(2) For purposes of this section, "use of official authority or
influence" includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit,
affecting or threatening to affect any reprisal, or taking, directing
others to take, recommending, processing, or approving any personnel
action, including, but not limited to, appointment, promotion,
transfer, assignment, performance evaluation, suspension, or other
disciplinary action. "Use of official authority or influence" does
not include good faith advocacy by an employee of a public school
agency, to any person including another agency employee or
contractor, regarding the services, if any, to be provided to a pupil
under the laws referred to in paragraph (1).
(f) This section does not diminish the rights, privileges, or
remedies of a public school employee under any other federal or state
law or under an employment contract or collective bargaining
agreement.
(g) A school employee's or contractor's assistance offered to a
parent or guardian of a pupil with exceptional needs to obtain
services or accommodations for that pupil shall not interfere with
the school employee's or contractor's regular duties for the local
educational agency.