Starbucks Manager Wrongly Fired Over Race & Awarded $25 Million

Court Orders Starbucks Pay $25 Million to Ex-Manager

The Seattle coffee giant Starbucks was just demanded by a jury to pay out over $25 million in damages to an ex-manager that was fired over race.

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Jury Finds Starbucks Manager Was Fired Over White Skin Color

This entire story starts back in 2018 when two black men were waiting to attend a business meeting inside a Starbucks in Philidelphia and one asked to use the restroom. The manager and employees working would not let the man use the bathroom, which escalated into both men, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, getting angry and being asked to leave the coffee shop. They were then arrested by police. The arrest went viral and instantly had Starbucks facing allegations of racism, threats of violence, and boycotts.

Management Targeted White Employees to Make Statement

An ex-manager, a woman named Shannon Phillips, had alleged in her lawsuit against Starbucks that the management was targeting and reprimanding white employees after that event at the Rittenhouse Square location to seem like the company was taking the situation seriously to the Philidelphia community.

Ms. Phillips alleges in court documents that her manager, a black woman, asked her to personally suspend another manager that was white for engaging in discriminatory conduct. Ms. Phillips says she personally knows there was no such conduct and fought not to suspend them. She also alleges the actual manager of that location, also a black man, was not reprimanded at all. Shortly after that conversation, Ms. Phillips was fired.

Over $25 Million Awarded by the Jury

Ms. Shannon Phillips says in her lawsuit that she was fired shortly after that conversation because of the color of her skin. Starbucks defends its position by saying that Ms. Phillips was fired for her reaction during the Rittenhouse Square incident and nothing else.

A jury listened to both arguments, just unanimously agreed with Ms. Phillips, and awarded her $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages that the Seattle Coffee Giant will now have to pay. A spokesperson for Starbucks had no comment, but Ms. Phillips's lawyer said they were "pleased" with the ruling according to the Independent.