Walker v. The Dow Chemical Company

**Worker Fails to Keep Court Informed of Address in Discrimination Case** A worker filed a discrimination lawsuit against The New York City Department of Homeless Services, but the case hit a procedural roadblock when the court couldn't locate the employee. The worker, Walker, had apparently moved or changed addresses without notifying the court of his new contact information. The court decided to give Walker one final chance to save his case. It issued an order requiring him to provide his updated address within 30 days. The judge warned that if Walker fails to comply with this deadline, the court will dismiss his discrimination case entirely. However, the dismissal would be "without prejudice," meaning Walker could potentially refile the same lawsuit later if he chooses to do so. This case highlights an important lesson for workers pursuing employment lawsuits: staying in touch with the court is crucial. Even if you have a strong discrimination claim, failing to maintain current contact information can derail your entire case. Workers involved in any legal proceedings should immediately notify the court clerk whenever they move or change phone numbers. Simple administrative oversights can sometimes be more damaging to a case than the underlying legal issues themselves.