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  • Pages

    Explainers

    FAC’s Explainer page provides information about topics relating to public records, open meetings, and freedom of speech that we are often asked about. The information you are looking for may be here, but if it is not, please feel free to submit a request to our Legal Hotline.

    July 3, 2024

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA School Records

    What can be done if I believe a public school district has improperly withheld records that should be accessible under the CPRA?

    […] conduct at a public high school. The requests concern complaints, investigations, and correspondence involving multiple administrators. The school district has responded to my requests with a pattern of delay, denial, and blanket exemptions. The district has claimed that no non-exempt records exist. The district has refused to provide a Vaughn-style index — which is […]

    May 27, 2025

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Can my former employer disclose my personnel records under the CPRA?

    CPRA: general overview The California Public Records Act ("CPRA") generally requires state and local agencies to disclose any public record on request to any member of the public unless the record falls within a specific statutory exemption from disclosure. Govt. Code §§ 7922.525, 7922.530. General information about the CPRA, including a sample request form, […]

    May 15, 2025

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA

    Are government employee hiring records accessible under the CPRA?

    […] notes related to a recent county hiring decision, including interview materials, scoring criteria, and the minimum qualifications used in the selection process. I specifically sought the qualifications of the candidate who was hired and did not request personal information on other applicants. The county responded by generally citing the CPRA and only provided the […]

    May 16, 2025

  • Asked and Answered

    First Amendment

    Can a school limit a teacher’s speech?

    Because you are a public school teacher, the research below details some limitations of public employees’ right to free speech in some circumstances. This discussion concerns only First Amendment issues, not any other potential issues under state or federal labor or employment law or otherwise. In general, "public employees do not surrender all their […]

    April 1, 2025

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act CPRA

    The mayor refused to let me make a public comment without identifying myself

    Before filing a Brown Act violation against the mayor for denying me the opportunity to speakon an item before the city council because I refused to identify myself before making a public comment.  I would like to get an opinion from your organization on my complaint and the city's response.

    August 26, 2010

  • Asked and Answered

    CPRA Newsgathering School Records

    School denies access to all info about coach fired amid rumors players’ were abused.

    […] "personnel matter" like a talisman, and won't say anything beyond either "the coach remains employed here" or "the coach is no longer employed here." Am I out of luck in this case, or do I have grounds to request/demand more information? And a related question: How about the athletic "sections" that oversee interscholastic sports. […]

    March 9, 2014