(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.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 56, Sec. 13. Effective January 1, 2008.)