U.S. District Judge G. Patrick Murphy approved a $24 million settlement in a federal lawsuit accusing Walgreen Co. of racial bias.

Roughly 10,000 past and present black Walgreen workers will split $20 million under the consent decree Murphy approved March 24. Attorneys involved in the case will share about $4.5 million in fees separate from the settlement amount.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in March 2007, accusing the Deerfield, Ill.-based retailer of discriminating against thousands of black workers in hiring and assignment decisions. The lawsuits allege Walgreen assigns black managers, management trainees and pharmacists to low-performing stores and to stores in black communities, and denies them promotions based on race.

The settlement resolves the EEOC's litigation and a private class-action lawsuit filed in June 2005 on behalf of 14 current and former black Walgreen workers. Those cases were consolidated in April 2007.

Click here to read a 7th Circuit article covering one of the discrimination lawsuits against Walgreen.

Walgreen denied any wrongdoing. “We do not tolerate discrimination in any aspect of employment,” spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce said in a statement.

The decree also requires Walgreen to hire outside consultants to review and make recommendations about the chain's employment practices, including standardized, nondiscriminatory promotions, promotional benchmarks, store assignments and procedures.

U.S. District Judge G. Patrick Murphy approved a $24 million settlement in a federal lawsuit accusing Walgreen Co. of racial bias.

Roughly 10,000 past and present black Walgreen workers will split $20 million under the consent decree Murphy approved March 24. Attorneys involved in the case will share about $4.5 million in fees separate from the settlement amount.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in March 2007, accusing the Deerfield, Ill.-based retailer of discriminating against thousands of black workers in hiring and assignment decisions. The lawsuits allege Walgreen assigns black managers, management trainees and pharmacists to low-performing stores and to stores in black communities, and denies them promotions based on race.

The settlement resolves the EEOC's litigation and a private class-action lawsuit filed in June 2005 on behalf of 14 current and former black Walgreen workers. Those cases were consolidated in April 2007.

Click here to read a 7th Circuit article covering one of the discrimination lawsuits against Walgreen.

Walgreen denied any wrongdoing. “We do not tolerate discrimination in any aspect of employment,” spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce said in a statement.

The decree also requires Walgreen to hire outside consultants to review and make recommendations about the chain's employment practices, including standardized, nondiscriminatory promotions, promotional benchmarks, store assignments and procedures.