Last week a federal jury awarded a former regional director at Starbucks over $25 million after it concluded that she was fired because she is white.
The case, Phillips v. Starbucks, stemmed from a high profile incident at a store in Philadelphia in April 2018 involving the arrests of two Black men. While the plaintiff was not involved with the arrests, Starbucks claimed that the plaintiff demonstrated a “complete absence of leadership” during the ordeal, resulting in her termination. The plaintiff accused Starbucks of taking steps to “punish white employees who had not been involved in the arrests … in an effort to convince the community that it had properly responded to the incident.” The federal jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $25.6 million: $25 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), reminds us that employees “are protected from different[ial] treatment at work on the basis of your race, whether you are white, Black or some other race.” Race/Color Discrimination – FAQs | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
This case is a strong reminder that companies cannot make hiring or employment decisions — even in part — on the basis of any employee’s race, color, religion, age, or other protected characteristic.