Florida Sues Starbucks Over Race-Based DEI Policies

Florida is once again leading the charge against woke corporate overreach.

Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a major civil rights lawsuit against Starbucks, accusing the coffee giant of using its so-called “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) initiatives as a smokescreen for racial discrimination. The suit alleges that Starbucks implemented explicit race-based hiring, promotion, and compensation practices that illegally favored some employees while punishing others based solely on skin color.

In a statement posted to X, Uthmeier didn’t mince words:

“Using DEI as an excuse to hire, promote, or humiliate an employee based on race violates Florida’s civil rights law, and we just filed a lawsuit to hold Starbucks accountable.”

The lawsuit, filed in Florida’s 10th Judicial Circuit, outlines what it describes as a “pattern or practice of discrimination” one that violates both state and federal civil rights protections.

Among the key allegations:

• Race-based hiring quotas: Starbucks allegedly set racial targets for hiring in retail, corporate, and distribution roles tying executive bonuses to meeting those diversity goals.

• Race-influenced pay and promotions: Employees of favored racial groups were reportedly paid more and promoted faster than equally qualified colleagues who didn’t check the right identity boxes.

• Exclusive mentorship programs: The company ran programs explicitly limited to certain racial groups, excluding white, Asian, and multiracial employees from opportunities for advancement.

• Hostile workplace culture: Florida-based employees reported feeling humiliated, marginalized, and shut out of networking and professional development solely because of their race.

The Florida Civil Rights Act, which mirrors federal law, bans all forms of racial discrimination including so-called “reverse discrimination” against nonminority groups. As Uthmeier emphasized, “civil rights protections extend to all individuals,” and promoting “diversity” is not a license to violate the law.

This isn’t the first time Starbucks has faced legal heat for its DEI agenda. In 2023, a federal jury ordered the company to pay $25.6 million to a white regional manager who was fired while Starbucks scrambled to respond to a viral incident involving two black men at a Philadelphia store. The court ruled that Starbucks unfairly scapegoated her based on her race.

Now, Florida’s lawsuit could open the floodgates to further accountability and potentially cost Starbucks tens of millions in damages. The complaint seeks:

• A court declaration that Starbucks’ policies are discriminatory

• A permanent injunction banning race-based hiring, pay, and promotion practices

• Civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation

• Compensatory and punitive damages for harmed employees

Starbucks, which is headquartered in Washington but operates 934 stores in Florida alone, employs over 381,000 people nationwide. If the allegations hold, the consequences could reverberate far beyond the Sunshine State.

At the heart of this case is a simple but powerful principle: equality under the law. Americans should never be judged by the color of their skin not in school, not in the courtroom, and certainly not in the workplace. But the DEI regime, embraced by corporate elites and academic radicals alike, has flipped that principle on its head.

In the name of “inclusion,” companies like Starbucks have turned discrimination into policy. Florida is finally calling them out and demanding that civil rights apply to everyone, not just the politically favored.

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