Human Rights may assume jurisdiction after another administrative body acts
Jainchill v. NYS Human Rights Appeals Board, 83 A.D.2d 665
After having her appeal that the examiners had improperly rated her oral test because of her sex denied by the Civil Service Commission, Jainchill filed the same complaint with the State Division of Human Rights.
After initially rejecting the complaint because she had previously commenced an administrative action relating to the same grievance, the Division decided that it had jurisdiction after all.
The Appellate Division agreed, stating that the Division cannot consider matters pending before another administrative body but could take jurisdiction once the other administrative agency proceeding was completed.
N.B. The court also noted that if Jainchill had commenced a proceeding seeking judicial review of the Civil Service Commission’s determination, there would have been a permanent barrier to her filing the same complaint with the Division of Human Rights thereafter.