Jurisdiction Vested When Administrative Period Expired
In Wallace v. Texas Department of Health, the Third Court of Appeals has held that the trial court acquired subject-matter jurisdiction over a prematurely filed Texas Commission on Human Rights Act claim when the statutory administrative period ended. Under the statute, the Commission had exclusive jurisdiction over the dispute until 180 days after the employee filed his administrative complaint or until he received a right-to-sue letter from the Commission. The appellate court reversed the trial court's judgment granting the Texas Department of Health's plea to the jurisdiction after concluding that the employee was not required to dismiss and re-file his lawsuit before jurisdiction could vest in the district court.
