Appeals Court: Cadets Covered by Immunity Waiver for Retaliation

A Texas appellate court, in a case of first impression, held that a Houston Police Academy cadet is covered by the waiver of governmental immunity that allows first responders to sue their employers for workers' compensation retaliation. Mercedes 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 hearin...