Florida accuses Starbucks of race-based hiring

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging a judge to find that Starbucks has used race-based hiring practices.

Moody in May filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations alleging that Starbucks had policies that appeared to be racial quotas. But the commission sided with the coffee company. Now, Moody is taking the case to the state Division of Administrative Hearings, for another judge to consider.

Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.

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.

The complaint cites a Starbucks website that included a goal of “achieving Black, Indigenous and People of Color representation” of at least 30% at all corporate levels. It also alleged executives had compensation tied to meeting those DEI objectives.

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.