Tex. Codes » Labor Code · TITLE 2. PROTECTION OF LABORERS · SUBTITLE A. EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION · CHAPTER 21. EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
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Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201 (2026)

Filing Of Complaint; Form And Content; Service

✓ laws through the 89th Legislature (2025)
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Sec. 21.201. FILING OF COMPLAINT; FORM AND CONTENT; SERVICE. (a) A person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful employment practice or the person's agent may file a complaint with the commission.

(b) The complaint must be in writing and made under oath.

(c) The complaint must state:

(1) that an unlawful employment practice has been committed;

(2) the facts on which the complaint is based, including the date, place, and circumstances of the alleged unlawful employment practice; and

(3) facts sufficient to enable the commission to identify the respondent.

(d) The executive director or the executive director's designee shall serve the respondent with a copy of the perfected complaint not later than the 10th day after the date the complaint is filed.

(e) A complaint may be amended to cure technical defects or omissions, including a failure to verify the complaint or to clarify and amplify an allegation made in the complaint.

(f) An amendment to a complaint alleging additional facts that constitute unlawful employment practices relating to or arising from the subject matter of the original complaint relates back to the date the complaint was first received by the commission.

(g) If a perfected complaint is not received by the commission within 180 days of the alleged unlawful employment practice or, for a complaint alleging sexual harassment, within 300 days of the alleged sexual harassment, the commission shall notify the respondent that a complaint has been filed and that the process of perfecting the complaint is in progress.

Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 269, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 9.06(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 443 (H.B. 21), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 150 cases (32 in the last 5 years), 1995–2026 · leading case: Texas Dep't of Pub. Saf. v. Alexander, 300 S.W.3d 62 (Tex. App.—Austin 2009).
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Texas Dep't of Pub. Saf. v. Alexander, 300 S.W.3d 62 (Tex. App.—Austin 2009). · cites it 21× “In order for a document to constitute a proper complaint of discrimination, it must: (1) be in writing; (2) be made under oath; (3) state that an unlawful employment practice was committed; (4) contain the facts on which the complaint is based, including the date, place, and…”
Texas Parks & Wildlife Dep't v. Dearing, 240 S.W.3d 330 (Tex. App.—Austin 2007). · cites it 6× “" Tex. Lab.Code Ann. § 21.201 (West 2006) (emphasis added).”
Waffle House, Inc. v. Williams, 313 S.W.3d 796 (Tex. 2010). · cites it 2× “2008) ("In creating the Texas Workers' Compensation Act, the Legislature carefully balanced competing interests—of employees subject to the risk of injury, employers, and insurance carriers—in an attempt to design a viable compensation system, all within constitutional…”
Sonya Thorn Lopez v. Texas State Univ., 368 S.W.3d 695 (Tex. App.—Austin 2012). · cites it 4× “See Tex. Lab. Code Ann. § 21.201 (West 2006) (among other requirements, charge must be made under oath and served on respondent employer within 10 days of filing).”
Univ. of Texas v. Poindexter, 306 S.W.3d 798 (Tex. App.—Austin 2009). · cites it 2× “In reaching its holding that the trial court lacked jurisdiction because Poindexter did not comply with the 180-day statutory period for filing her retaliation and disparate-impact claims, see Tex. Lab. Code Ann. §§ 21.201 , .202 (West 2006); Specialty Retailers, Inc.”
Williams v. Vought, 68 S.W.3d 102 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2001). · cites it 4× “Tex. Lab.Code Ann. § 21.201(c) (Vernon 1996).”
Metro. Transit Auth. of Harris Cnty. v. Douglas, 544 S.W.3d 486 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2018). · cites it 2× “§ 2000e-5(e)(1) ; Tex. Lab. Code §§ 21.201 -.202; 40 Tex. Admin.”
Davis v. Educ. Serv. Ctr., 62 S.W.3d 890 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2001). · cites it 3× “Tex. Lab. Code Ann. §§ 21.201 (a), 21.202(a); Schroeder v.”
Texas Tech Univ. v. Finley, 223 S.W.3d 510 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2006). · cites it 3× “The TWC-CRD has recently clarified that “[f]or the purpose of satisfying the filing requirements of Texas Labor Code § 21.201 ... timeliness of the complaint shall be determined by the date on which *515 the complaint is received by EEOC.”
Bartosh v. Sam Houston State Univ., 259 S.W.3d 317 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2008). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Lab.Code Ann. §§ 21.201, 21.202 (Vernon 2006).”
Prairie View A&M Univ. v. Diljit K. Chatha, 381 S.W.3d 500 (Tex. 2012). “§ 2000e-5(e)(l); Tex. Lab.Code §§ 21.201, .202; 40 Tex. Admin.”
Blaire Reid v. SSB Holdings, Inc., 506 S.W.3d 140 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2016). · cites it 4× “See Tex. Lab. Code Ann. §§ 21.201 -.202. Although Protec acknowledged that Reid had filed a complaint with the Commission, in addition to contesting its timeliness, it alleged that the complaint was not made under oath as required by the TCHRA.”
Show all 150 citing cases →
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(a): 22 cases
Davis v. Educ. Serv. Ctr., 62 S.W.3d 890 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2001). “Tex. Lab. Code Ann. §§ 21.201 (a), 21.202(a); Schroeder v.”
John Hinkley v. Envoy Air, Inc., 968 F.3d 544 (5th Cir. 2020).
Metro. Transit Auth. of Harris Cnty. v. Douglas, 544 S.W.3d 486 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2018). “§ 2000e-5(e)(1) ; Tex. Lab. Code §§ 21.201 -.202; 40 Tex. Admin.”
Alief Independant Sch. Dist. (AISD) v. Raymond Brantley, 558 S.W.3d 747 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2018).
Thomas v. Clayton Williams Energy, Inc., 2 S.W.3d 734 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1999).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(b): 5 cases
Sonya Thorn Lopez v. Texas State Univ., 368 S.W.3d 695 (Tex. App.—Austin 2012). “See Tex. Lab. Code Ann. § 21.201 (West 2006) (among other requirements, charge must be made under oath and served on respondent employer within 10 days of filing).”
Blaire Reid v. SSB Holdings, Inc., 506 S.W.3d 140 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2016). “See Tex. Lab. Code Ann. §§ 21.201 -.202. Although Protec acknowledged that Reid had filed a complaint with the Commission, in addition to contesting its timeliness, it alleged that the complaint was not made under oath as required by the TCHRA.”
TCOE, Inc. v. SA Quad Ventures, LLC, No. 04-18-00266-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio June 26, 2019).
Texas Health & Human Servs. Comm'n v. Chayla Cooper, 683 S.W.3d 896 (Tex. App.—Austin 2024).
Lakeview Police Dep't & the City of El Lago v. Corrie Moody, No. 01-24-00072-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Mar. 6, 2025).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(c): 4 cases
Williams v. Vought, 68 S.W.3d 102 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2001). “Tex. Lab.Code Ann. § 21.201(c) (Vernon 1996).”
Brownsville Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Michael A. Alex, 408 S.W.3d 670 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2013).
Univ. of Texas Health Sci. Ctr. at Houston v. Dr. John McNeely, No. 06-21-00041-CV (Tex. App.—Texarkana Oct. 26, 2021).
Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Ctr. v. Pureza \DIDIT\" Martinez", No. 07-22-00055-CV (Tex. App.—Amarillo Aug. 17, 2022).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(c)(2): 2 cases
Harris Cnty. v. Michael J. Hall, No. 01-25-00399-CV (Jan. 22, 2026).
Keryl L. Douglas v. Houston Hous. Auth. & Ernie Etuk, No. 01-11-00508-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Oct. 22, 2013).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(c)(3): 3 cases
Ramirez v. DRC Distributors, Ltd., 216 S.W.3d 917 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2007).
Univ. of Texas - Pan Am. & the Univ. of Texas Sys. v. Howard Miller, No. 03-10-00710-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Aug. 28, 2013).
Mary Ramirez v. Drc Distributors, Ltd., No. 13-04-00679-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi Mar. 1, 2007).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(d): 5 cases
Texas Tech Univ. v. Finley, 223 S.W.3d 510 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2006). “The TWC-CRD has recently clarified that “[f]or the purpose of satisfying the filing requirements of Texas Labor Code § 21.201 ... timeliness of the complaint shall be determined by the date on which *515 the complaint is received by EEOC.”
Gorges Foodservice, Inc. v. Huerta, 964 S.W.2d 656 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1998).
Shoreline, Inc. v. Hisel, 115 S.W.3d 21 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2003).
Gunter P. Coffey v. Texas Parks & Wildlife Dep't, No. 12-21-00015-CV (Tex. App.—Tyler Oct. 6, 2021).
Texas Health & Human Servs. Comm'n & the Texas Dep't of Aging & Disability Servs. v. Jose P. Baldonado, No. 13-14-00113-CV (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi Apr. 30, 2015).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(e): 9 cases
Texas Dep't of Pub. Saf. v. Alexander, 300 S.W.3d 62 (Tex. App.—Austin 2009). “In order for a document to constitute a proper complaint of discrimination, it must: (1) be in writing; (2) be made under oath; (3) state that an unlawful employment practice was committed; (4) contain the facts on which the complaint is based, including the date, place, and…”
Bartosh v. Sam Houston State Univ., 259 S.W.3d 317 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2008). “See Tex. Lab.Code Ann. §§ 21.201, 21.202 (Vernon 2006).”
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Canchola, 64 S.W.3d 524 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2002).
Tex. Dep't of Aging & Disability Servs. v. Lagunas, 546 S.W.3d 239 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2017).
Univ. of Texas at El Paso v. Jamie Isaac, 568 S.W.3d 175 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2018).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(f): 4 cases
El Paso Cnty. v. Mary Lou Vasquez, 508 S.W.3d 626 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2016).
Collins-Pearcy v. Mediterranean Shipping Co. (USA), 698 F. Supp. 2d 730 (S.D. Tex. 2010).
City of Sugar Land v. Leon Kaplan, 449 S.W.3d 577 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2014).
Univ. of Texas at El Paso v. Jamie Isaac, 568 S.W.3d 175 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2018).
Tex. Lab. Code § 21.201(g): 2 cases
Univ. of Texas at El Paso v. Jamie Isaac, 568 S.W.3d 175 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2018).
Gunter P. Coffey v. Texas Parks & Wildlife Dep't, No. 12-21-00015-CV (Tex. App.—Tyler Oct. 6, 2021).
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