EXCLUSIVE — Starbucks will pay Florida $1 million and end race- and sex-based goals, quotas and preferences in employment practices companywide under a sweeping settlement ending the state's civil rights lawsuit against the coffee giant. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agreement applies to all Starbucks operations nationwide, not just the company's locations in Florida. "Every Floridian deserves to be hired, promoted and compensated based on merit, qualifications and character — not race or sex," Uthmeier told Fox News Digital exclusively.
"This resolution ensures that Starbucks’ policies and practices fully comply with Florida’s civil rights laws. DEI can never be an excuse to violate civil rights." The negotiated resolution ends the lawsuit Uthmeier filed in December 2025 accusing Starbucks of violating the Florida Civil Rights Act through racial and sex-based goals, quotas and preferences in its workplace policies. GOP FRESHMAN FIREBRAND TARGETS GLOBAL CONSULTING GIANT OVER 'PLAINLY ILLEGAL' DEI PRACTICES Under the agreement, Starbucks committed to complying with the state civil rights law, which prohibits race and sex-based preferences in hiring, promotions, pay, executive compensation, mentorship programs, supplier selection and board composition.
The company also agreed it will not participate in organizations that require it to increase the racial diversity of its board of directors. GEORGIA DISTRICT QUIETLY TRAINED TEACHERS TO BLAME 'WHITENESS,' 'DECOLONIZE' UNDER FEDERAL CRACKDOWN: REPORT Starbucks' chief legal officer will be required to submit annual certifications of the company's continued compliance for four years. The company will also pay $1 million to the Florida Department of Legal Affairs to reimburse the office for the time, expenses and costs of bringing the case.
"We’re pleased to have resolved this matter without admission of wrongdoing and appreciate the constructive engagement of the Attorney General’s Office throughout this process," Pilar Ramos, executive vice president and chief legal officer of Starbucks said. "We will continue to focus on offering great jobs and career opportunities to our partners who wear the green apron, while making a positive impact on the communities we serve in Florida and around the world." SEATTLE MAYOR’S STARBUCKS BOYCOTT CALL SLAMMED BY LOCAL RADIO HOST AS COFFEE GIANT ADDS NASHVILLE-BASED ROLES The settlement follows Uthmeier's lawsuit, which alleged Starbucks had turned diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives into a system that discriminated based on race. The December complaint pointed to goals Starbucks announced in 2020 to have people of color fill 40% of retail and manufacturing jobs and 30% of corporate positions by 2025.
For fiscal year 2024, the lawsuit alleged that bonus criteria included executives mentoring Black, Indigenous and other employees of color, holding monthly meetings with mentees and keeping retention among those workers above a stated threshold. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACCUSES PRESTIGIOUS LAW SCHOOL OF FAVORING BLACK APPLICANTS OVER WHITE, ASIAN PEERS The complaint further alleged that Florida Starbucks employees and job applicants contacted the attorney general's office and reported feeling excluded or humiliated because they were White. Uthmeier accused the company of "systemic discrimination" against workers it considered "non-diverse." "Starbucks made DEI more than a slogan," Uthmeier said when the lawsuit was announced.
"They turned it into a mandatory hiring and promotion system based on race." FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY HIT WITH FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION OVER RACE, SEX-BASED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS He said at the time that race-based hiring goals and executive bonuses tied to meeting them amounted to discrimination prohibited under Florida law. The state initially sought $10,000 in damages for each alleged instance of racial discrimination against a Florida resident, an amount Uthmeier's office said could have reached tens of millions of dollars or more. Starbucks operates more than 900 stores in Florida, according to the complaint.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
