Monday, March 12, 2007

Walgreen Accused of Racial Discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a class-action lawsuit against Walgreen Co., the nation's largest drugstore chain, alleging widespread racial bias against thousands of African-American workers.

According to a release by the EEOC, the company assigns managers, management trainees, and pharmacists to low-performing stores and to stores in African American communities, and denies their promotion because of their race.

Walgreens' spokesperson, Michael Polzin said in a statement that Walgreens is "the nation's best represented retailer in urban areas, and managers of all backgrounds are promoted to senior levels from those locations." He also added that the company was "saddened and disappointed" by the lawsuit.


A group of current and former African-American managers filed a similar private lawsuit against Walgreen in June 2005. That lawsuit is still pending.

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