Dive Brief:

• Starbucks discriminated on the basis of race and sex through its diversity, equity and inclusion programs in violation of Missouri and federal civil rights laws, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey alleged in a lawsuit filed Feb. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
• The complaint in Missouri v. Starbucks Corp. specifically alleged that the coffee chain employed race- and sex-based quotas in its hiring practices, executive compensation and training programs. It also claimed that Starbucks’ partner networks — a collection of internal employee resource groups — unlawfully segregated employees and gave “preferred minorities” additional job benefits.
• A Starbucks spokesperson denied the allegations in an email to HR Dive. “Our programs and benefits are open to everyone and lawful,” the spokesperson said. “Our hiring practices are inclusive, fair and competitive and designed to ensure the strongest candidate for every job every time.

Dive Insight:

Starbucks has been the target of discrimination lawsuits and legal threats because of its DEI work for more than two years, so Missouri’s lawsuit is not unprecedented. However, the complaint does come at a critical time for DEI programs generally, and Starbucks is one of several prominent U.S. corporations that have been forced to defend that work in court.

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Source : https://www.hrdive.com/news/starbucks-dei-discrimination-missouri-lawsuit/740358/