Four former CVS theft investigators say their supervisors ordered them to target minority shoppers in some New York City stores, according to a federal lawsuit filed against the nation's second-largest drugstore chain.

Former employees Lacole Simpson, 32; Kerth Pollack, 41; Sheree Steele, 46; and Delbert Sorhaindo, 26; said that supervisors routinely told them to racially profile black and Hispanic shoppers even when there was no indication that those people might steal.

The plaintiffs are all either black or Hispanic. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, states that the supervisors never gave similar instructions regarding white shoppers.

Four former CVS workers are suing the national drug-store chain, claiming they were taught to discriminate against Hispanic and black customers. From left to right, former employees Lacole Simpson, Kerth Pollack, Sheree Steele and Delbert Sorhaindo

Supervisors Anthony Salvatore and Abdul Selene allegedly advised employees that 'black people always are the ones that are the thieves,' that 'lots of Hispanic people steal,' and to 'watch the black and Hispanic people to catch more cases.'

Sorhaindo said that one store manager told him to 'hide like a monkey' in order to catch shoplifters. After an argument with his manager, Salvatore, Pollack says he was called and told to 'get his black a** back to the store and apologize.'

The complaint, which seeks class status, claims CVS intentionally targets and racially profiles shoppers based on the 'ill-founded institutional belief ... minority customers are criminals and thieves.'

CVS spokeswoman Carolyn Castel said in an email that the company doesn't tolerate discrimination and is shocked by the allegations.

'CVS Health has firm nondiscrimination policies that it rigorously enforces,' she wrote. 'We serve all communities and we do not tolerate any policy or practice that discriminates against any group.'

The plaintiffs said that they were subjected to increased scrutiny within weeks of complaining about the procedures, and they were eventually fired.

Pollack, Simpson and Sorhaindo all worked for CVS for four years and were fired between February and April. Steele worked at the drug store chain for a few months before being told not to return to work after taking approved leave in July 2013.