Missouri Files Anti-Discrimination Lawsuit against Starbucks for Having a Workforce More Female and Less White

The State of Missouri has sued Starbucks Coffee for hiring too many women and not enough white people.  

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, accusing the coffee chain of violating federal and state anti-discrimination laws. The Cave State claims Starbucks engaged in race and sex-based discrimination by unlawfully segregating employees and offering certain training and employment benefits exclusively to select groups. Bailey claims that Starbuck’s workforce has become more female and less white over time. Bailey contends that the coffee chain uses quotas to shape its workforce and board of directors, arguing that its policies disadvantage other employees.  

Bailey alleges that initiatives designed to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ultimately amount to unlawful discrimination. “With Starbucks’ discriminatory patterns, practices, and policies, Missouri’s consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services that could be provided for less had Starbucks employed the most qualified workers, regardless of their race, color, sex, or national origin.” 

The lawsuit seeks a court order to compel Starbucks to immediately stop what Bailey describes as discriminatory patterns and practices. Starbucks denies the accusations.  

Merit Is Impossible To Qualify With Race or Sex Alone 

Bailey’s argues that Missouri’s consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for services if only Starbucks had employed “the most qualified workers.” First, most people consider Starbucks to be entry level positions for recent high school graduates or college students. “Most qualified workers” at a Starbucks are likely still making around $17.50 an hour on a part time basis. To be sure, Starbucks still needs workers and consumers still want people at Starbucks to serve them, but that doesn’t mean Starbucks is a workplace where employee skill level matters to a significant degree.  

Second, Bailey is suggesting that a workforce that is “more female and less white” is somehow not the most qualified workforce Starbucks could employ. That statement though suggests that a workforce made up of more white males would be more qualified. The racism works both ways though; the mere fact that a person is a white male does not make them more qualified than a black woman. To be sure, being a white man does not make them less qualified either. The quality of work is always going to come down to the individual’s own experiences, work ethic, and life circumstances, among other factors.  

However, that is the proverbial secret sauce to ensuring that the spirit and the letter of the Civil Rights Act prevails. We should judge people as individuals rather than based on their sex or their race. The alternative to individualism is a free for all power grab where different racial groups try to seize power and then whine about discrimination if they’re not given preferential treatment. Judging individuals as individuals is difficult, but a civil legal system that judges people on a case by case basis can make it work.  

Do I Need an Employment Lawyer? 

If you believe that your employer has violated your legal rights as a worker, you should hire a skilled employment lawyer for further assistance. A skilled employment law attorney can help protect your interests and defend your rights under the law. Your attorney can also assist you in filing a lawsuit against an employer and/or colleague and in recovering damages for any losses that you suffered.