Agency Sues Walgreen For Discrimination

Walgreen Co. illegally assigned thousands of African-American employees to low-performing stores and stores in black neighborhoods, according to a class-action lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The lawsuit, filed on March 7, alleges that the nation’s largest drugstore operator denied black employees, including managers and pharmacists, promotions and other professional opportunities because of their race.

The EEOC lawsuit comes after a group of Walgreen employees sued the company on similar charges in June 2005. That lawsuit is currently pending.

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“There is simply no truth to the allegations,” the company said in a statement. “Fairness and equality have always been the cornerstones of our business. We’re the nation’s best represented retailer in urban areas, and managers of all backgrounds are promoted to senior levels from those locations.”

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