Cánovas v. Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination

**What Happened:** Maria Cánovas worked at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and filed a discrimination complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). However, MCAD staff mistakenly directed her to file with a different agency instead. By the time Cánovas realized the error and properly filed with MCAD, the normal deadline for filing discrimination complaints had passed. MCAD dismissed her case as being filed too late. **What the Court Decided:** The court reversed MCAD's dismissal and sent the case back for further review. The court ruled that when government agency staff give someone wrong directions about where to file their complaint, the normal filing deadline might be extended under a legal principle called "equitable tolling." This means the clock on the deadline could be paused during the time the worker was following the incorrect guidance. **Why This Matters for Workers:** This decision protects workers who receive bad advice from government agencies when trying to file discrimination complaints. If agency staff misdirect you to the wrong office and you miss a filing deadline because of their mistake, you may still be able to pursue your case. However, workers should still try to file complaints as quickly as possible and confirm they're filing in the right place.