(1) No officer or employee shall subject to reprisal, or directly or indirectly use, or threaten to use, any official authority or influence, in any manner whatsoever, which tends to discourage, restrain, depress, dissuade, deter, prevent, interfere with, coerce, or discriminate against any officer or employee who in good faith reports, discloses, divulges, or otherwise brings to the attention of the ethics commission, any law enforcement agency or its employees, or any other appropriate body or authority, any facts or information relative to an actual or suspected violation of any law, statute, executive order, administrative regulation, mandate, rule, or ordinance of the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, or the urban county government, or any facts or information relative to actual or suspected mismanagement, waste, fraud, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. No officer or employee shall be required to give notice prior to making such a report, disclosure, or divulgence.
(2) No officer or employee shall subject to reprisal or discriminate against, or use any official authority or influence to cause reprisal or discrimination by others against, any person who supports, aids, or substantiates any officer or employee who makes public any wrongdoing set forth in subsection (1) of this section.
(3) This section shall not be construed as:
(a) Prohibiting a supervisor from requiring that an officer or employee inform him of an official request made to an office for information, or the substance of testimony made, or to be made, by the officer or employee to the council on behalf of an office;
(b) Permitting the officer or employee to leave his assigned work area during normal work hours without following applicable law, administrative regulations, rules, or policies pertaining to leave, unless the officer or employee is requested by the ethics commission to appear before the commission, or by a council committee to appear before a council committee;
(c) Authorizing an officer or employee to represent his personal opinions as the opinions of his supervisor; or
(d) Prohibiting disciplinary or punitive action if an officer or employee discloses information which he knows:
1. To be false or which he discloses with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity;
2. To be exempt from required disclosure under the provisions of KRS 61.870 to 61.884; or
3. Is confidential under any other provision of law.
(Ord. No. 255-94, § 1, 12-13-94)