Missouri’s Republican attorney general Andrew Bailey is accusing coffee conglomerate Starbucks of operating on DEI race-and-sex-based hiring practices, resulting in “more female and less white” employees in a new federal lawsuit, The Hill reported.
Filed on Feb. 11, Bailey claims Starbucks violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws that unlawfully segregated employees and provided specific training benefits to select groups, pushing the narrative that the company prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.
Despite pending litigation, the coffee brand has pledged to create mentorship programs for BIPOC employees as well as provide training for advancement opportunities for those groups. However, the Missouri AG feels the Seattle-based company’s initiatives should be looked at as a violation of anti-discrimination laws, alluding they give preferential treatment to specific racial or ethnic groups over others. “Starbucks’ policies harm the many Missourians who work, or would like to work, at Starbucks but have been, are being, or will be discriminated against as future victims on the basis of their race, sex, or inclusion in other protected groups,” the complaint alleges, according to CBS News.
But Starbucks disagrees. In a responding statement, the company said it stands committed to providing opportunities for all employees. “We disagree with the attorney general, and these allegations are inaccurate. We are deeply committed to creating opportunities for every single one of our partners (employees). Our programs and benefits are open to everyone and lawful,” the statement read.
“Our hiring practices are inclusive, fair, and competitive and designed to ensure the strongest candidate for every job every time.”
Source: Black Enterprise
