In a rare turn of events, justice prevailed in New Jersey this week.
Shannon Phillips, a white regional manager employed by Starbucks, was terminated in 2018 after her staff denied two black men access to the restroom at a Philadelphia Starbucks. In response, Phillips filed a lawsuit against the coffee company a year later, claiming that she was fired solely based on her race.
On Monday, The Daily Mail reported that Phillips was awarded $25 million in punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages. A federal jury concluded that her termination was indeed a result of her skin color, which constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act.
The incident occurred in April 2018 when Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, two black men, arrived at Starbucks for a business meeting while waiting for another individual to join them. Nelson was denied access to the restroom as he had not made a purchase, in accordance with Starbucks’ policy that requires customers to buy something before using the facilities.
Following the incident, Starbucks management took steps to kowtow to agitators. CEO Kevin Johnson personally traveled to Philadelphia to apologize to Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson. In addition, he ordered the temporary closure of all 8,000 Starbucks locations so that the company’s 175,000 employees could undergo racial-bias training.
In her lawsuit, Shannon Phillips revealed that she had no role in the detention of the two individuals but was still terminated a month later. She pointed out that it was a black employee who had called 911 after Nelson and Robinson refused to leave when asked.
Furthermore, Phillips alleged that Starbucks later started punishing white employees who were not involved in the incident, while granting complete leniency to black employees.
Hopefully, other employees who have faced mistreatment will find the strength to speak out as well.
We commend this woman for her courage in standing up for what is right.
