Starbucks manager fired for denying bathroom access to black men receives $25M+ settlement.

Former Starbucks Manager Awarded Over $25 Million in Lawsuit

A former Starbucks regional manager who was fired after she refused to let two nonpaying black men use the restroom at her Philadelphia location was awarded over $25 million on Monday.

Shannon Phillips, who oversaw a reported 100 locations, was terminated after denying two black men access to the bathroom at a Starbucks in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. The incident sparked outrage and accusations of racism, leading to thousands of locations being shut for racial sensitivity training.

Jury Awards Phillips $25.6 Million

Phillips won her lawsuit against the Seattle-based coffee giant and was awarded $25.6 million by a New Jersey federal jury. The jury determined she had lost her job because she was white and awarded her $25 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages.

Phillips alleged her firing was the product of racial bias and stated that Starbucks was punishing white employees, some of whom had no affiliation with the incident. She claimed that she had been ordered to have a white male manager, who worked for Starbucks for 15 years, placed on leave because he had an allegation against him that nonwhite employees at his location were underpaid. However, the manager had no say in the matter of wages, and he had displayed no evidence of discriminatory behavior, Phillips said.

Backlash and Community Repair

Immediately after her firing, Phillips faced backlash and has worked “tirelessly” to repair her relationship with her community, according to Laura Mattiacci, Phillips’s attorney. Phillips is “very pleased” with Monday’s outcome, Mattiacci said.

Agreements with Starbucks and Philadelphia

The two black men, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, reached separate agreements with Starbucks and Philadelphia and received an undisclosed sum of money, the offer of free college, and the promise of a $200,000 young entrepreneurs program, the report noted. Neither man was charged after their arrest.

Key Takeaways:

• A former Starbucks regional manager was awarded over $25 million in a lawsuit against the coffee giant.
• The manager was fired after denying two nonpaying black men access to the restroom at her Philadelphia location.
• The jury determined she had lost her job because she was white and awarded her $25 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages.
• The two black men reached separate agreements with Starbucks and Philadelphia and received an undisclosed sum of money, the offer of free college, and the promise of a $200,000 young entrepreneurs program.

Read more from The Washington Examiner here.

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