Maryland Commission on Human Relations v. Bethlehem Steel Corp.

This case presents a question concerning the doctrine of exhaustion of statutorily prescribed administrative and judicial remedies. More particularly, the question is whether a party may have recourse to a court without exhausting statutorily prescribed administrative proceedings and judicial review if the principal question presented before the agency concerns the interpretation of an agency rule.

On 12 December 1977, Llewellyn Wakeman (Wakeman) filed a complaint with the petitioner, the Maryland Commission on Human Relations (Commission), alleging that the respondent, Bethlehem Steel…