A police academy cadet is covered by the waiver of governmental immunity that allows first responders to sue their employers for workers’ compensation retaliation, a Texas appellate court ruled in what it called a case of first impression.
According to Mercedes Hirsch v. City of Houston, Ms. Hirsch was injured in a physical agility test while training to become a Houston police officer. She said a campaign of harassment began after she filed a workers compensation claim.
She sued the city for discrimination in December 2023. A trial court initially dismissed her case, finding that governmental immunity prevented it from hearing the complaint…