Discrimination claims brewing: Early observations in the saga of Missouri v. Starbucks

In February 2025, the state of Missouri sued Starbucks Corporation, alleging the company committed race discrimination when it announced and followed particular steps “to advance racial and social equity.”

Grounds for suit?

The primary alleged practices at issue in the suit were Starbucks’ Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) mentorship program and alleged preferential access to training for members of diversity-related affinity groups; setting goals for BIPOC representation in its corporate (30%) and other (40%) roles; and pinning a portion of executive compensation and bonuses to BIPOC retention, participation in the BIPOC mentorship program, and an evaluation of the diversity of the executive’s management team.

Starbucks announced these “steps” in October 2020 and reported on them in various shareholder communications over the next four to five years.

Observations