Court Approves $24 Million Walgreen Race Discrimination Settlement
A federal judge has approved a $24 million race discrimination settlement between Walgreen Co. and more than 10,000 of its African-American employees.
The settlement resolves a March 2007 lawsuit in which the EEOC alleged that the nation’s largest drugstore chain discriminated against African-American employees by making store assignments and denying promotions on the basis of race.
The settlement mandates comprehensive injunctive relief, including extensive training and a requirement that the company retain an external consultant to conduct an audit of the company’s employment practices.
EEOC General Counsel Ronald Cooper said the case is “a good example of the commission’s renewed emphasis on class and systemic litigation and furthers the agency’s E-RACE Initiative, which is designed to address major issues of race and color discrimination.”
Walgreen’s made no admission of liability and says that it voluntarily entered into the settlement “because the actions it has agreed to undertake underscore its strong commitment to diversity and equal opportunity.”
