Former Aurora pharmacy manager sues Walgreens, claims discrimination

A former pharmacy manager for an Aurora Walgreens has sued the company, claiming discrimination and alleging he was fired in 2015 on false charges he hired only Spanish-speaking technicians.

Kirk Heil seeks more than $300,000 in back pay, lost wages, attorney fees and damages from the Deerfield-based Walgreens, according to the lawsuit filed in Kane County in early April.

Walgreens spokesman Jim Graham declined to comment because it was ongoing litigation.

Heil worked as a pharmacy manager at the Walgreens at 1180 N. Farnsworth Ave. for about five years until he was fired Sept. 18, 2015. His last performance review concluded he was "achieving expectations," the suit states.

Heil, who is white, argues he was fired because of false discrimination claims from a black female employee. Heil also argues he was unfairly accused of hiring only Spanish-speaking technicians, when only two of the seven workers he had hired spoke fluent Spanish.

According to the suit, after Heil was fired, the two Spanish-speaking workers he hired were terminated as well.

Heil's supervisor, the suit argues, repeatedly referred to Hispanic employees with derogatory names and did not give black employees a "technician quiz," while Heil quizzed all employees.

"When it came to minority workers, Walgreens clearly preferred black employees over Hispanic employees and made hiring and firing decisions on that basis. Heil would not go along with this discrimination and was terminated as a result," the suit contends. "Heil had arguments and disagreements with his management in 2014 and 2015 arising out of Walgreens' more favorable treatment of black employees, which Heil reasonably and in good faith believed was unlawful and discriminatory against nonblack employees, especially Hispanics."

Heil's case was dismissed by the state's Department of Human Rights in January 2017, as officials determined there was not "substantial evidence" to support his allegations of discrimination. Heil was given the option of suing in local circuit court.

A phone message left for Heil's attorney, Glenn Gaffney, was not returned.

The two sides are due in court June 20.