Niketown Accused of Discrimination

By Margaret Lyons in News on Aug 24, 2004 12:24PM

Several current and former employees of Niketown on Michigan Avenue filed a federal lawsuit Monday that alleges that Niketown management discriminated against black employees. The class action suit, which could cover up to 200 people, claims that black employees were forced to work in the stock room while white employees were able to work as "sales specialists," a position 3 or 4 times more lucrative. Of 63 stockroom workers between January 2001 and May 2003, 46 were black; of 33 commissioned sales specialists, 8 were black.

According to the suit, black employees were subject to a hostile work environment where they were often accused of theft, denied full-time benefits even if they worked 40 hours a week, and not subject to the same "rules concerning attendance, sick leave and employee discounts."

So far, no word from the sneaker giant.