Starbucks has been fined $25.6 million for firing a former manager because she was white.
The federal jury ruled in favor of former Starbucks regional manager Shannon Phillips, who is suing the multinational for wrongfully firing her because she was white, CNN reported Wednesday.
Ms Phillips, who worked for Starbucks for 13 years, was fired after two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks in April 2018 for refusing to leave the premises after occupying a table and using the restroom had without having ordered anything.
Eventually, the two men in handcuffs were escorted to the scene by police officers, but the facility finally agreed with them on a settlement, American media reported.
Video of the incident went viral on social media, with Starbucks wanting to show it’s commitment to “diversity and inclusion” to stand up to allegations of racism.
In its 2019 lawsuit, Phillips alleges that Starbucks took improper action against white employees who were not involved in the incident so they could … show their white credentials.
The federal jury unanimously concluded that Shannon Phillips was fired solely because she is white, which is a violation of federal civil rights statutes and laws prohibiting racial discrimination.
Starbucks denies the allegations, arguing in a 2021 court case that the plaintiff has shown a lack of leadership during this crisis. Starbucks judges the situation in favor of this court decision.