(A) An officer or employee shall not directly or indirectly use or attempt to use the officer's or employee's official authority or influence to intimidate, threaten, coerce, command, influence or attempt to intimidate, threaten, coerce, command or influence another city officer or employee or another local governmental officer or employee, as applicable, in an effort to interfere with or prevent the disclosure of information concerning improper governmental action.
(B) For the purposes of this section, use of official authority or influence includes taking, directing others to take, recommending, processing or approving any personnel action such as an appointment, promotion, transfer, assignment, reassignment, reinstatement, restoration, reemployment, evaluation or other disciplinary action.
(C) A city officer or employee shall not use these provisions to harass another city officer or employee.
(D) These provisions do not prohibit an officer or employee from initiating proper disciplinary procedures against another city officer or employee or another local governmental officer or employee, as applicable, who disclosed untruthful information concerning improper governmental action.
(E) These provisions are intended to be directory and preventive rather than punitive, and do not abrogate or decrease the effect of any of the provisions of state statutes or city code which define or prescribe punishments with respect to the conduct of officers or employees. (Ord. 230, 5-27-2009)