Menze v. Astera Health

**What Happened** A worker named Menze sued Astera Health claiming he faced discrimination and a hostile work environment at his job. After his case was dismissed, he tried to reopen it by presenting new evidence from an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) inquiry. He asked the court to reverse the dismissal and let his case proceed. **What the Court Decided** The court refused to reopen Menze's case. The judge ruled that the EEOC evidence he wanted to use wasn't actually "newly discovered" information that would justify reversing the dismissal. More importantly, the court found that Menze had failed to file his discrimination complaint with the EEOC within the required 300-day deadline after the alleged discrimination occurred. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights a critical rule for workers facing workplace discrimination: you must file an EEOC complaint within 300 days of when the discrimination happened, or you may lose your right to sue. Missing this deadline can be fatal to your case, even if you have strong evidence. Workers should act quickly when they believe they've experienced discrimination and consult with employment attorneys or the EEOC as soon as possible to protect their rights.