Creger v. Tucker

**What Happened** An employee named Creger filed an age discrimination complaint against his employer, Woodward MPC, Inc., claiming he was treated unfairly because of his age. After going through the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) process, Creger tried to pursue his case through Illinois state agencies. However, he missed a crucial deadline - he failed to submit the EEOC's decision to the Illinois Department of Human Rights within 30 days, as required by Illinois law. **What the Court Decided** The Illinois Appellate Court ruled against Creger and dismissed his case entirely. The court found that because he missed the 30-day deadline to file the EEOC determination with the state agency, the Illinois Human Rights Commission had no legal authority to hear his discrimination case at all. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights how strict filing deadlines can make or break discrimination cases. Workers pursuing age discrimination claims must carefully track multiple deadlines across different agencies - both federal (EEOC) and state. Missing even one deadline by a single day can result in losing the right to pursue your case entirely, regardless of how strong your discrimination claim might be. Workers should consider getting legal help to navigate these complex timing requirements.