Gubernatorial candidate J. B. Pritzker at a campaign appearance (Photo courtesy of Howard Packowitz, WJBC)
By Cole Lauterbach, Illinois Radio Network
A group of African-American and Latino campaign staffers have filed federal discrimination lawsuit against J.B. Pritzker, Democratic hopeful for Illinois governor.
The suit alleges Pritzker’s campaign routinely marginalized minority workers.
“Although they hire African Americans and Latinos as campaign workers, the vast majority are herded into race-specific positions where they are expected to interact with the public, offered no meaningful chance for advancement, and receive less favorable treatment than their white counterparts who engage with, as the campaign sees it, a more desirable constituency,” the workers claimed in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit comes just weeks before Pritzker will face Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner in one of the most expensive state elections in national history.
The complaint also alleges that the campaign placed minority staffers in “unsafe locations,” putting them in danger.
The lawsuit said that when the campaign workers asked when Pritzker would visit their office, campaign officials responded, “He’ll visit when they stop shooting.”
Pritzker’s campaign was not immediately available for comment, but Pritzker’s Lt. Gov. candidate, Juliana Stratton, said in a statement that “we had a letter delivered to us asking for $7.5 million dollars in 24 hours or they threatened legal action and to go to press. That’s not a good faith effort.”
Shay Allen, a Chicago-based civil rights attorney who represents the plaintiffs, denied that. Allen said that Stratton had never reached out to any of his clients despite their complaints to campaign officials.
