Velez-Velez v. P.R. Highway & Transp. Auth., No. 14-1176 (1st Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CasePlaintiff Sonia Velez-Velez, a Popular Democratic Party (PDP) member, lost her job with the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority after an election returned the opposing political party, the New Progressive Party (NPP), to office. Plaintiff was informed on February 11, 2010 that she would be terminated under the new NPP administration’s ruling that one set of hiring policies under which Plaintiff was hired was unlawful and therefore, those employees hired under the erroneous determinations must be terminated. Plaintiff requested a hearing, and on November 8, 2010 the Examining Officer recommended affirming the decision to terminate Plaintiff’s employment. On December 20, 2011, Plaintiff and her husband filed this complaint, alleging claims for political discrimination, among other claims. The district court granted summary judgment for Defendants, concluding that the discrimination claim was time-barred. Plaintiff appealed, claiming that the clock did not begin to run until she was formally terminated after the hearing. The First Circuit affirmed, holding that the statute of limitations began to run when Plaintiff was informed on February 11, 2010 of the re-interpretation of policy.
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