Garza v. Barella

**Garza v. Barella: Worker Loses Discrimination Case Due to Missing Deadline** This case involved a worker who filed a discrimination complaint against the Puerto Rico Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. After going through the administrative process, the employee disagreed with the outcome and tried to challenge it in court by filing a judicial review petition. However, the Court of Appeals threw out the case entirely. The court found that the worker had missed a critical 30-day deadline for filing the petition under Puerto Rico's administrative procedures law. Because the petition was filed too late, the court said it had no legal authority to hear the case, regardless of whether the discrimination claims had merit. **What this means for workers:** This case highlights the importance of strict deadlines in employment disputes. Even if you have a strong discrimination case, missing filing deadlines can end your case before a court ever looks at the facts. If you're dealing with workplace discrimination and go through your employer's administrative process, pay close attention to any deadlines for appealing to court. Consider consulting with an employment attorney to ensure you don't miss these critical time limits, as courts generally cannot make exceptions even for valid claims filed late.