Question
I am a public school educator. When a parent and/or student makes a complaint (verbal or written), am I entitled to a copy of either the administration’s notes (if it was verbal) or the written complaint?
Answer
The local school district administration should have procedures in place with respect to complaints by parents and students against teachers (see http://alpineschooldistrict.net/district/). If the complaint was made pursuant to the Uniform Complaint Process (which relates primarily to deficiencies related to instructional materials, emergency facilities conditions, and teacher vacancy and misassignment — see attached complaint form), then the complaint and any response thereto is a public record. Educ. Code Section 35186. Finally, if a complaint is made through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, then a copy of the complaint is sent to the teacher against whom the complaint is made.
Asked & Answered posts should not be relied on as legal advice, and FAC makes no guarantees about their completeness or accuracy. All posts carry a date of publication that readers should take note of in assessing their usefulness, given that laws and interpretations of them may change over time. Posts predating Jan. 1, 2023, that discuss the California Public Records Act may contain statute numbers no longer in use. Please see this page for a table showing how the California Public Records Act has been renumbered.