PITTSBURGH - A former employee filed a lawsuit against a renowned Seattle-based coffee company claiming age discrimination in his 2013 dismissal.
Philip Agostinelli of Houston, Pa., sued Starbucks Corp. d/b/a Starbucks Coffee Company of Seattle, in the U.S. District Western District of Pennsylvania on June 30, alleging infringement of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and state law in his July 2013 termination.
The suit states that Agostinelli was hired as a store manager by the defendant at age 49 on or about Feb. 15, 2010, with 26 years of food management experience. According to the filing, he performed well, receiving positive reviews and recognition.
The plaintiff maintains that a younger district manager may have experienced difficulty relating to him because of his age, referring to him as “grandpa." Contending that other store managers younger than 40 displayed performance issues but were not fired, Agostinelli states he was discharged on July 1, 2013, on pretextual reasons.
Alleging that his discharge was unlawful and willfully done in violation of the ADEA and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, the plaintiff requests injunctive action, a declaratory judgment, compensatory back and front pay and benefits until his normal retirement date, other pecuniary losses, liquidated damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney’s fees, and court costs. He is represented by John E. Egers Jr. of the Julian Law Firm in Washington.
U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania Case 2:15-cv-00852-JFC.