Current:Home > ScamsEx-Starbucks manager awarded $25.6 million in case tied to arrests of 2 Black men -GlobalInvest
Ex-Starbucks manager awarded $25.6 million in case tied to arrests of 2 Black men
Fastexy View
Date:2025-04-09 00:10:49
CAMDEN, N.J. — Jurors in a federal court have awarded $25.6 million to a former Starbucks regional manager who alleged that she and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.
Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages on Monday after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips' firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination.
In April 2018, a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who were sitting in the coffee shop without ordering anything. Phillips, then regional manager of operations in Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and elsewhere, was not involved with arrests. However, she said she was ordered to put a white manager who also wasn't involved on administrative leave for reasons she knew were false, according to her lawsuit.
Phillips said she was fired less than a month later after objecting to the manager being placed on leave amid the uproar, according to her lawsuit.
The company's rationale for suspending the district manager, who was not responsible for the store where the arrests took place, was an allegation that Black store managers were being paid less than white managers, according to the lawsuit. Phillips said that argument made no sense since district managers had no input on employee salaries.
The lawsuit alleged Starbucks was instead taking steps to "punish white employees" who worked in the area "in an effort to convince the community that it had properly responded to the incident."
During closing arguments on Friday, Phillips' lawyer Laura Mattiacci told jurors that the company was looking for a "sacrificial lamb" to calm the outrage and show that it was taking action, Law360 reported. Picking a Black employee for such a purpose "would have blown up in their faces," she said.
Starbucks denied Phillips' allegations, saying the company needed someone with a track record of "strength and resolution" during a crisis and replaced her with a regional manager who had such experience, including navigating the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Law360 reported.
Phillips' attorney, however, cited earlier testimony from a Black district manager, who was responsible for the store where the arrests took place, who described Phillips as someone beloved by her peers and worked around the clock after the arrests.
In an email to The Associated Press, Mattiacci confirmed the award amount and said the judge will consider awarding back pay and future pay, as well as attorney's fees. Mattiacci told the New Jersey Law Journal that she will seek about $3 million for lost pay, and roughly $1 million on her fee application. Starbucks declined comment Tuesday.
In the April 2018 incident, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson were arrested in a Starbucks coffee shop near tony Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia shortly after the manager called police to report that two men were refusing to either make a purchase or leave the premises. They were later released without charges.
Video of the arrest prompted national outcry and led the current CEO of Starbucks to personally apologize to the men. The company later reached a settlement with both men for an undisclosed sum and an offer of free college education. The company also changed store policies and closed locations across the country for an afternoon for racial-bias training.
The two men also reached a deal with the city of Philadelphia for a symbolic $1 each and a promise from officials to set up a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs. The Philadelphia Police Department adopted a new policy on how to deal with people accused of trespassing on private property — warning businesses against misusing the authority of police officers.
veryGood! (7641)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Ex-Florida State president: FSU needs to leave ACC; playoff committee caved to pressure
- Panera Bread's caffeine-fueled lemonade cited in another wrongful death lawsuit
- 52 sea turtles experiencing ‘cold stun’ in New England flown to rehab in Florida
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Rosalynn Carter advocated for caregivers before the term was widely used. I'm so grateful.
- Kim Kardashian's Son Saint West Debuts Blonde Hair During Courtside Birthday Celebration
- Hanukkah message of light in darkness feels uniquely relevant to US Jews amid war, antisemitism
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Kim Kardashian's Son Saint West Debuts Blonde Hair During Courtside Birthday Celebration
Ranking
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Europe was set to lead the world on AI regulation. But can leaders reach a deal?
- The Most Haunting Things to Remember About the Murder of John Lennon
- Pro-Israel Democrat to challenge US Rep. Jamaal Bowman in primary race next year
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- The Excerpt podcast: Sandra Day O'Connor dies at 93, Santos expelled from Congress
- Biden backs Native American athletes' quest to field lacrosse team at 2028 Olympics
- 'The Wicker Man' gets his AARP card today, as the folk horror classic turns 50
Recommendation
Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
A new Homeland Security guide aims to help houses of worship protect themselves
NATO member-to-be Sweden and the US sign defense deal, saying it strengthens regional security
Chicago man pleads guilty in shooting of three undercover federal officers
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Massachusetts man drives into utility workers and officer, steals cruiser, then flees, police say
Ex-Nashville mayor to run for GOP-held US House seat, seeking a political return years after scandal
Biden urges Congress to pass Ukraine aid package while expressing openness to Mexico border changes