Legal Questions: HOW CAN I VIEW MY PERSONNEL FILE?
SUGGESTED WAYS TO VIEW YOUR PERSONNEL
FILE:
Step 1 – Make a courteous verbal request at the school
system main office for a convenient time/date to review your
personnel file. If you
receive no time/date within two business days then take Step 2.
Step 2 – Present to main office the letter of request below and
mail a copy to PET office. If
still no confirmed time/date within two business days then notify
PET office by telephone for legal assistance.
TO CONTEST AN ENTRY IN YOUR PERSONNEL
FILE:
Step 1 – Discover and photocopy the document(s) in
your file, then
Step 2 – Submit a clearly written explanatory memo for addition to
file.
Step 3 – Follow up within a “reasonable” time frame to see if
your memo was added to your file.
If not, then contact PET office for legal assistance.
Note 1: The word “access” in the sample
request form letter below implies the right to photocopy part or
whole of the contents of your file.
Note 2: If you are concerned about what a school employee might say
about you to a prospective employer if you are seeking another job,
contact PET for advice.
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SAMPLE LETTER _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_
Date:
___/___/________
To:
(Specify name, appropriate title such as Personnel Director, and
identify school system)
Subject:
Request for access to Personnel records
Dear
__________,
Please consider this letter as a request for access to review
my personnel records. This request is made pursuant to the Freedom Of
Information Act, as well as Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-506 which
permits access to such files by public employees.
If there is any problem with this request please contact me
so that I may forward any such concern to my professional
association counsel.
Thank you for your cooperation in processing this request.
Please advise of a convenient time for me to come by and
review and/or photocopy these records.
Very
truly,
(your
signature)
(type
or print your name)
cc: Professional Educators of Tennessee