Missouri – Claiming major violations of both federal and state anti-discrimination statutes, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has launched a lawsuit against the coffee company Starbucks. Filed in state court, the lawsuit charges Starbucks with race- and sex-based discrimination via employee management rules and hiring procedures.
Attorney General Bailey claims that Starbucks has practices in place that not only divide employees but also connect board membership and pay to racial and gender proportions. These behaviors, Bailey argues, are not only morally repugnant but are also illegal under the recent Supreme Court decision stressing federal law forbids discrimination based on race in contexts ranging from college applications to job situations.
“As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to protect Missourians from a company that actively engages in systemic race and sex discrimination,” said Attorney General Bailey. “Racism has no place in Missouri. We’re filing suit to halt this blatant violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act in its tracks.”
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This legal action suggests a more general problem with Starbucks’ operating procedures since it implies that the claimed discriminating tactics of the business cause longer wait times for services and higher consumer prices. The lawsuit argues that these results result from the corporation offering unfair benefit depending on race and gender instead of hiring the most competent people.
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Attorney General Bailey has taken on big businesses on grounds of prejudice before. He also sued International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in June 2024 alleging racial hiring policies among other discriminatory actions. That case is currently in progress and shows a recurring trend in Bailey’s handling of what he sees as systematic prejudice at well-known corporations.
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The action against Starbucks aims to ensure legal compliance through the use of an instantaneous injunction therefore ending the company’s divisive policies. The case made public by Attorney General Bailey’s office guarantees openness and motivates other organizations to consider and fix potentially discriminatory policies through the use of public access.
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As the issue develops, it will surely ignite debates on corporate accountability and the application of anti-discrimination rules in company operations throughout the country.
The lawsuit can be read here.
