On Monday, a jury in America granted compensation in a fictional case brought by the former Starbucks manager, Shannon Phillips. Phillips had sued the company claiming she was wrongfully terminated due to her race, citing discrimination against white people.
In April 2018, Phillips, who had been managing a group of Starbucks coffee shops for 13 years, was terminated from his position following the arrest of two black men at a Starbucks location in Philadelphia.
According to CNN, a New Jersey jury decided on a verdict of $25.6 million, which included $25 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages.
CNN quoted lawyers as saying that the jury ruled unanimously after a six-day trial, noting that Phillips will also seek back and advance salaries.
Starbucks spokeswoman Jaci Anderson told CNN that she is disappointed with the decision and is evaluating her next steps.
The network pointed out that the ruling issued this week is the latest development in an incident that sparked protests and a wave of anger.
In 2018, two men were asked to leave a café for sitting at a table without ordering. They stayed, waiting for a co-worker, and were eventually taken out in handcuffs by the police, called by the manager. Later, they settled with Starbucks and the Philadelphia city authorities.
In a lawsuit first filed in 2019, Philips said the company discriminated against it because of its race when its services were let go.
According to Phillips, who owned coffee shops, including one in Philadelphia, Starbucks instructed her to suspend a white employee for discriminatory behavior. Phillips believed these allegations were untrue. She asserts that when she attempted to defend the employee, Starbucks terminated her employment.
In 2021, Starbucks filed a lawsuit stating that after the incident, senior leaders and officials noticed Philips’ lack of leadership qualities. It should be noted that Starbucks had previously denied these allegations.
According to a document seen by CNN, the company claimed that Philips was disoriented and did not understand the gravity of the situation. As a result, Philips’ manager decided to terminate her employment because the company needed strong leadership at that time.
