A former Starbucks employee has filed a lawsuit against the coffee giant, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. Shateeya Ford, who worked as a Shift Supervisor at a Pittsburgh location, filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on July 15, 2024.
According to the complaint, Ford began her employment with Starbucks in September 2015 and was promoted to Shift Supervisor. She claims that while she was employed at the McKnight Road facility starting in May 2022, she experienced continuous racial discrimination and retaliation from her superiors. Ford alleges that she was excluded from a Shift Supervisor meeting on November 12, 2022, despite being the only African American supervisor at that location. When she attended the meeting uninvited and raised concerns about racial discrimination against herself and another African American coworker named Yazmine, she was met with hostility from her colleagues and superiors.
Ford recounts an incident during this meeting where Assistant Manager Melanie made an inappropriate comment about Yazmine, stating "working with Yaz makes me want to slit my throat." Following this meeting, Store Manager Theo Chalupa reprimanded Ford for bringing up issues of racial discrimination and issued her a write-up for leaving work early two months prior—a delay Ford found suspicious.
The complaint further details instances of alleged retaliation following Ford's complaints to Starbucks' Partner Contact Center (PCC) about discriminatory treatment. On December 24, 2022, after calling in sick, Ford received another disciplinary write-up upon returning to work—an action she claims was unprecedented compared to how similar situations involving Caucasian coworkers were handled.
In March 2023, Ford joined a union group called "People of Color Keep Everything Together" and attended a senatorial hearing regarding Starbucks' union-busting efforts. Upon her return in April 2023, Chalupa interrogated her about her union activities and past complaints against him. A month later, on May 15, 2023, District Manager Eric Johnson terminated Ford's employment citing allegations of bullying related to an incident involving a Sharpie pen—an incident for which she had not been previously disciplined.
Ford asserts that these actions by Starbucks constitute violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 concerning race-based discrimination and retaliation. She is seeking compensatory damages for lost wages and emotional distress as well as punitive damages. Additionally, she requests injunctive relief to prevent further discriminatory practices by Starbucks.
The case is being handled by attorneys Erik M. Yurkovich and Kyle H. Steenland from The Workers’ Rights Law Group LLP.
Case ID: 2:24-cv-01021.