Harris County v. Lawson

I respectfully dissent. When a public employee is suspended or terminated for reporting violations of law by the employing governmental entity, sections 554.0035 and 554.006(d) of the Whistleblower Act1 *286(the Act) waive sovereign immunity and permit the employee two avenues to sue the State. See TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. §§ 554.0085, 554.006(d) (Vernon Supp. 2003). The employee may either (1) exhaust the grievance proceedings and file suit within 30 days of the date of exhaustion or (2) terminate the grievance proceedings and file suit within the time remaining under the Act. TEX. GOV’T CODE ANN. §…