Republican AG Sues Starbucks Over DEI Hiring Policies Resulting In ‘More Female and Less White’ Employees

Missouri’s Republican attorney general Andrew Bailey is accusing coffee conglomerate Starbucks of operating on DEI race-and-sex-based hiring practices, resulting in “more female and less white” employees in a new federal lawsuit, The Hill reported.

Filed on Feb. 11, Bailey claims Starbucks violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws that unlawfully segregated employees and provided specific training benefits to select groups, pushing the narrative that the company prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.

Citing data between 2020 and 2024, Bailey accused the coffee chain of using quotas to iron out its workforce and board of directors, arguing such policies place other employees at a disadvantage. “With Starbucks’ discriminatory patterns, practices, and policies, Missouri’s consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services that could be provided for less had Starbucks employed the most qualified workers, regardless of their race, color, sex, or national origin,” Bailey said.

The suit also listed a memo from 2021 revealing the company set and tracked annual inclusion and diversity goals, striving for approximately 30% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) representation at the corporate level and 40% on the retail and manufacturing side by 2025.

Bailey’s suit comes after weeks of backlash following President Donald Trump’s executive order banning DEI programs at the federal level, which resulted in a number of Fortune 500 companies dialing back on their own initiatives. In addition to the order, the 47th president directed U.S. attorney generals to “encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI.”

Despite pending litigation, the coffee brand has pledged to create mentorship programs for BIPOC employees as well as provide training for advancement opportunities for those groups. However, the Missouri AG feels the Seattle-based company’s initiatives should be looked at as a violation of anti-discrimination laws, alluding they give preferential treatment to specific racial or ethnic groups over others. “Starbucks’ policies harm the many Missourians who work, or would like to work, at Starbucks but have been, are being, or will be discriminated against as future victims on the basis of their race, sex, or inclusion in other protected groups,” the complaint alleges, according to CBS News.

But Starbucks disagrees. In a responding statement, the company said it stands committed to providing opportunities for all employees. “We disagree with the attorney general, and these allegations are inaccurate. We are deeply committed to creating opportunities for every single one of our partners (employees). Our programs and benefits are open to everyone and lawful,” the statement read.

“Our hiring practices are inclusive, fair, and competitive and designed to ensure the strongest candidate for every job every time.”