(a) A University of California employee, including an officer or faculty member, may not directly or indirectly use or attempt to use the official authority or influence of the employee for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, coercing, commanding, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or command any person for the purpose of interfering with the right of that person to disclose to a University of California official, designated for that purpose by the regents, or the State Auditor matters within the scope of this article.
(b) For the purpose of subdivision (a), “use of official authority or influence” includes promising to confer, or conferring, any benefit; effecting, or threatening to effect, any reprisal; or taking or directing others to take, or recommending, processing, or approving, any personnel action, including, but not limited to, appointment, promotion, transfer, assignment, performance evaluation, suspension, or other disciplinary action.
(c) Any employee who violates subdivision (a) may be liable in an action for civil damages brought against the employee by the offended party.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize an individual to disclose information otherwise prohibited by or under law.
(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 12, Sec. 8. Effective May 7, 1993.)