Jefferson City, Missouri (KTVI) – Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) has He filed a lawsuit It claims to Starbucks that international coffee chains are violating federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
In a lawsuit formally filed Tuesday, Bailey said the company had engaged in employment practices based on race and sex, illegally separating employees and providing specific training and employment benefits to only certain groups. It's claiming.
He further argues that initiatives (DEIs) designed to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion (DEIs) ultimately amount to illegal discrimination.
The filing, citing employment data for 2020 and 2024, claimed that the Starbucks workforce has become “more women and white people” over time. Bailey argues that coffee chains use quotas to shape the workforce and board of directors, and that the policy claims the disadvantages of other employees.
According to 2021 Starbucks NotesThe company, cited in the lawsuit, also set and tracked annual inclusion and diversity goals. By 2025, we aim to be at least 30% BIPOC representatives at the corporate level and 40% at the retail and manufacturing level. , or people of color.
According to the lawsuit, Starbucks' US workforce was 69% women and 49% BIPOC in 2020, with those numbers shifting to 70.9% and 46.5% as of September 2024.
The memo also says Starbucks is committed to creating mentorship programs for BIPOC employees and providing additional training and promotion opportunities for those groups. Bailey argues that such targeted initiatives violate the Anti-Discrimination Act by treating certain racial or ethnic groups more than others.
“Starbucks' discriminatory patterns, practices and policies make Missouri consumers need to wait longer for products and services they can offer to pay higher prices and less. Or country of origin,” Bailey said. I said via news release Announcement of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks a court order that forces Starbucks to immediately stop what Bailey describes as discriminatory patterns and practices.
In a statement to KTVI, Starbucks said, “We oppose the Attorney General and these allegations are inaccurate. We are deeply committed to creating opportunities for all of our partners (employees). I'm doing it.
The chain has around 200 locations in Missouri, just a few of the more than 15,000 cafes the company has nationwide, according to the lawsuit.
KTVI is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns the hill.
