Employment Law News

Walgreens Sued For Job Bias Against Blacks

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today filed an employment discrimination class lawsuit against Walgreen Company, the Illinois-based national drugstore chain, alleging widespread racial bias against thousands of African American workers.

The EEOC charges in the suit that Walgreens assigns managers, management trainees, and pharmacists to low-performing stores and to stores in African American communities because of their race. Additionally, the EEOC asserts that Walgreens denies these managers and professionals promotional opportunities based on race – all in violation of federal law.

“This lawsuit demonstrates that the Commission’s focus on systemic cases will be a powerful weapon to tackle obvious as well as subtle forms of race discrimination,” said EEOC Chair Naomi C. Earp. “We will not rest until workplace decision-making is based on merit rather than immutable and irrelevant characteristics, such as race or color.”

Walgreens’ actions were investigated by the St. Louis and Miami district offices of the EEOC after more than 20 current and former employees from around the country complained to the federal agency. The EEOC filed the litigation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Case No. 07-cv-00172-MJR-CJP) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement with Walgreens. Read more at eeoc.gov.

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	About at will employment In certain states, employers do not have the right to terminate employees "at will" if the termination violates public policy, an implied employment contract, or an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.