A racial discrimination trial against Walgreen Co., the nation’s largest drugstore chain, began this week, 19 months after a group of black customers and employees charged the retailer with creating “a hostile environment” for them. The lawsuit, filed in November 2005, alleges Deerfield-based Walgreens discriminated against black customers by, among other things, requiring workers to follow them around the store to make sure they weren’t stealing. The suit focuses primarily on a heavily trafficked store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at the intersection of Chicago and Michigan Avenues. “Walgreen Co. has had a companywide policy wherein its retail store supervisors presumed black customers to be criminals,” the suit said. The complaint also accuses the retailer of discriminating against black employees, citing discrepancies in job assignments, disciplinary action, sick leave and educational opportunities. Three customers and three former Walgreens employees filed the original complaint. Three more customers joined the lawsuit in January 2006. Four of the nine plaintiffs remain as the trial began. The three former employees and a customer settled in March, according to court documents. Terms weren’t disclosed. The court dismissed the complaint of one customer. Walgreens denied the accusations. “We don’t believe there’s any basis for these claims and we intend to show that during the trial,” said company spokesman Michael Polzin. The trial began Monday at the U.S. District Court in Chicago. It is expected to last up to two weeks. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Walgreens in March alleging widespread racial bias against thousands of black managers and pharmacists. In reply, Walgreens said “fairness and equality always have been the cornerstones of our business.”
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