1012.91 Personnel records. - Florida Statutes

1012.91 Personnel records.

   (1) Each university board of trustees shall adopt rules prescribing the content and custody of limited-access records that the university may maintain on its employees. Such limited-access records are confidential and exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). Such records are limited to the following:

   (a) Records containing information reflecting academic evaluations of employee performance shall be open to inspection only by the employee and by officials of the university responsible for supervision of the employee.

   (b) Records maintained for the purposes of any investigation of employee misconduct, including but not limited to a complaint against an employee and all information obtained pursuant to the investigation of such complaint, shall be confidential until the investigation ceases to be active or until the university provides written notice to the employee who is the subject of the complaint that the university has either:

   1. Concluded the investigation with a finding not to proceed with disciplinary action;

   2. Concluded the investigation with a finding to proceed with disciplinary action; or

   3. Issued a letter of discipline.

For the purpose of this paragraph, an investigation shall be considered active as long as it is continuing with a reasonable, good faith anticipation that a finding will be made in the foreseeable future. An investigation shall be presumed to be inactive if no finding is made within 90 days after the complaint is filed.

   (c) Records maintained for the purposes of any disciplinary proceeding brought against an employee shall be confidential until a final decision is made in the proceeding. The record of any disciplinary proceeding, including any evidence presented, shall be open to inspection by the employee at all times.

   (d) Records maintained for the purposes of any grievance proceeding brought by an employee for enforcement of a collective bargaining agreement or contract shall be confidential and shall be open to inspection only by the employee and by officials of the university conducting the grievance proceeding until a final decision is made in the proceeding.

   (2) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any records or portions thereof which are otherwise confidential by law shall continue to be exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). In addition, for sexual harassment investigations, portions of such records which identify the complainant, a witness, or information which could reasonably lead to the identification of the complainant or a witness are limited-access records.

   (3) Except as required for use by the president in the discharge of his or her official responsibilities, the custodian of limited-access records may release information from such records only upon authorization in writing from the employee or upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

   (4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), records comprising the common core items contained in the State University System Student Assessment of Instruction or comparable instrument may not be prescribed as limited-access records.

   (5) This section shall apply to records created after July 1, 1995.

History. s. 779, ch. 2002-387.