After an investigative agency sided with the company, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office will urge an administrative law judge to find that Starbucks has improperly used race-based hiring practices.
Moody in May filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations alleging that Starbucks had policies that “appear on their face to be racial quotas.” But after an investigation, the commission’s executive director in November issued a determination that there was “no reasonable cause” to believe that the Seattle-based coffee company violated a state anti-discrimination law.
Moody’s office responded by filing a petition that led Monday to the case going to the state Division of Administrative Hearings, where a judge will consider it.
The case came as Moody and other Republican leaders in Florida and across the country have targeted diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by companies and at places such as colleges and universities.
Moody’s office alleges Starbucks violated the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992, which says it is illegal to make hiring or other employment-related decisions based on factors such as race. The human-relations commission has authority under the law to investigate alleged violations.
The May complaint cited information that Starbucks had posted on its website. As an example, it said the website included a goal of “achieving Black, Indigenous and People of Color representation of at least 30 percent at all corporate levels and at least 40 percent of all retail and manufacturing goals by 2025.” It also alleged executives had compensation tied to meeting “inclusion and diversity objectives.”
But Starbucks said the goals were “aspirational” — not illegal hiring quotas — and that executive compensation was not tied to meeting the goals, according to a memorandum by Alicia Maxwell, an investigation specialist with the human-relations commission.
That memorandum went to the agency’s general counsel and helped lead to the determination of “no reasonable cause” that Starbucks violated the law.
“The commission’s Office of General Counsel reviewed all available evidence and the investigative memorandum, and made a recommendation to me, as executive director of the commission, that it is unlikely that unlawful discrimination occurred in this matter,” Executive Director Cheyanne Costilla wrote in the Nov. 15 determination.
In the Dec. 19 petition that led to the case going to the Division of Administrative Hearings, Moody’s chief of staff, James Percival, wrote that in “the attorney general’s view, the investigative memo lacked a thorough discussion of the allegations and failed to provide a reasoned basis for its determination.”
The case had not been assigned to a judge as of Thursday morning, according to the Division of Administrative Hearings website. Under administrative law, a judge would ultimately issue a recommended order that would go back to the human-relations commission for action.
–Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida
Jim says
Moody isn’t pursuing this because she really thinks Starbucks has done anything wrong. This is purely a political stunt to keep her in good standing with the MAGA crowd. Any public “servant” like Moody would drop the issue after this report and move on the – hopefully – more important items. Maybe pursuing companies for illegal election interference as at least one company reportedly supported a sham candidate in an election to assure their preferred candidate got elected. I’d be happy if the state tried to make sure our elections were on the level. (Of course, the only elections that this state is concerned about are those where the Republican candidate loses.)
This is just the same culture war politics that the Republicans love to swim in and the MAGA crowd just eats up. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina pushed a transgender ban for bathrooms in Congress just because there is one transgender now elected to that body. Thank God Congress will be protected from the transgender crime spree the rest of the country has experienced…. As long as politicians can keep us from looking at what they DON’T do for us with these BS issues, this country will not move in a positive direction. And it appears about 50% of us are okay with that. And that’s why Moody is riding this horse.
Steve says
Over priced coffee and a broken Business Model. What could go wrong.
Endless dark money says
Republicans are pro discrimination so what’s the issue? They didn’t hire whites only? Racist fools. This corporate oligarchy is gonna collapse ….
The dude says
Yet ALWAYS packed…
Maybe not so broken after all…
c says
So, once again (as if it was something unusual) we have a case of “If it doesn’t result in what I want to hear, it must be wrong”.
And these people are supposedly capable of running a state (and your lives).
Can’t make this stuff up.
Denali says
And this has what bearing on the topic at hand? Neither item you mention has any bearing on Moody crying over the ‘no cause’ ruling she got from the Human Relations Commission. What you consider to be over priced thousands of people stand in line for daily. And what you call a ‘broken business model’ made Howard Schultz over $3 billion and turned Starbucks into a major international brand. The only thing that went wrong here is that Ashley Moody is trying to keep her name in front of the MAGA minions.
Using Common Sense says
Woke is Broke!
Deborah Coffey says
And, they don’t care who they hurt or kill on the way to their power grabs. However, it is safe to say that today’s Republican Party is a cabal of racists and White supremacists.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Once again, Moody wasting the Florida Taxpayers Money.
Sherry says
A Huge Thank You, Jim! Happy New Year!
Ed Danko, former Vice-Mayor, PC says
Thank you Attorney General Moody for pursuing this and protecting Floridians from the race-based hiring practices of Starbucks. DEI is nothing but racist policies designed to discriminate against all of us. Fortunately companies like Walmart, Ford, Boeing, and many others, have seen the light and have backed away from Biden’s insane diversity agenda. Those, regardless of race or gender, who are the most qualified should be the ones hired first. Hopefully, before the boycott begins, Costco will get the message – Go Woke, Go Broke! Thank you Ashley for standing up against liberal racisms!
Jackson says
Moody is a fraud and disgrace! Period.
Ed P says
As of September 30, 2024, Starbucks gross profit margin was 26.25%.
As of October 31, 2024, Walmarts gross profit margin was 24.91%.
As of December 31, 2023, Publix gross profit margin was 26.58%.
Mobil oil 24.99%, Kroger 22.85%, Home Depot 31.63%
Opps… Mc Donald’s 56.54%
Remember a few months ago when Harris said corporations were gouging?
If multiple corporations runs virtually the same gross profit, then, are they screwing us?
Question of over priced, maybe not.
Sometimes, things are not what we perceive them to be.
The dude says
Yes yes… firmer vice mayor lawn troll…
Starbucks is broke. Clearly…
Jim says
Lost and wandering in the woods as usual.
““The commission’s [Florida Commission on Human Relations Office] of General Counsel reviewed all available evidence and the investigative memorandum, and made a recommendation to me, as executive director of the commission, that it is unlikely that unlawful discrimination occurred in this matter,” Executive Director Cheyanne Costilla wrote in the Nov. 15 determination.”
You gotta read the entire article so you can actually pick up a fact or two. It was investigated, found to not be discrimination and then Moody kept pushing on. That’s not anything other than politics, Eddie. Especially you ought to recognize grandstanding when you see it.
Joe D says
For Ed P…
What are you talking about!?! Comparing different companies GROSS profits means NOTHING. First, you need to get the NET profits ( the money made AFTER they subtract out their expenses), then you have to compare the 2021/2022/2023/2024 Net profit of each company separately. So (for example) say Walmart had Net Profits of say 20% in 2021, then net profits of 24% in 2022, then 28% net profits in 2023 and 30% in 2024 ….THAT COULD indicate price gouging, year over year (having nothing to do with increased costs of materials, shipping or salaries…because you have subtracted those out of your GROSS profits)…
The only thing your comment suggests is that all those companies are making insane sales ( gross profits), but it says nothing about whether they are price gouging, until you compare each company’s 2021/2021/2023 and 2024 post expenses profit, separately to see (net profits skyrocketed for many of those companies ).
That was 4th or 5 grade math…it’s NOT higher level MATH to figure it out.
Ed P says
Joe D,
Just asking, did you ever run a Fortune 500 corporation? Have any fiduciary responsibility? Well I have. Beyond that, someone posted that Starbucks was over priced. Comparing their GP vs other large retail operations was to explain they may not be over priced. As far as gouging. Let me also assure you that any ongoing successful enterprise could not gouge for long. Their competitors would destroy them. Regulations, settlements, Legal, research and development are difficult concepts for consumers to understand. Making that 25% gp look “insane”(your word not mine) . By the way, your favorite restaurant operates on a 70% gp just to remain viable.
Apology for not making my point clearer.
Denali says
Eddie – every time you open your mouth or put pen to paper you display your increasing ignorance, racism and bigotry. One would think that eventually even you would realize that no one wants to hear your barbaric hatred. Please slither back under your rock and allow the rest of us to regain the civility you have ripped from our lives. Better yet, take all the energy you expend on hate and channel it towards doing some good. I know that solving world hunger id too much to ask so maybe spend a couple of days a week picking up trash from all the vacant lots in town. I know that public service would be a new concept for you considering you never practiced any while on the council.
Thank you for correcting you screen name, while still offensive and unnecessary, it is at least grammatically correct.