A federal judge on Friday tossed out a lawsuit filed by former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey that challenged Starbucks' diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, ruling the state failed to show anyone was harmed by the policies.
U.S. District Judge John Ross of the Eastern District of Missouri said the complaint leaned heavily on conjecture rather than facts, concluding Missouri lacked standing to sue.
The lawsuit accused Starbucks of engaging in discriminatory practices through its DEI programs, including diversity-related hiring goals and executive pay tied to inclusion metrics.
"The Court cannot reasonably draw the inference that any of them have been harmed simply because of Defendant's alleged DEI policies, as Plaintiff leaves to the imagination the actual enforcement and implementation of these policies," Ross, an Obama appointee, wrote.
"Plaintiff failed to allege that any actual Missouri residents applied for an open position in Missouri and were rejected, were passed over for promotion, were disciplined or demoted unfairly, or tried and failed to take advantage of any other benefit of employment with Defendant because of a protected characteristic," he added.
Bailey, now the co-deputy director of the FBI, filed the lawsuit this year, arguing Starbucks' DEI initiatives violated civil rights laws by favoring race- and gender-based considerations in employment decisions.
He claimed the policies disadvantaged Missourians who did not fall into preferred demographic groups, but the lawsuit did not identify any specific employee or job applicant who lost a job, promotion, or opportunity because of the policies.
That gap proved decisive.
Ross said courts require a concrete, particularized injury to establish standing, not hypothetical or generalized claims about how policies might operate.
Without evidence that Starbucks enforced its DEI initiatives in a discriminatory manner, the judge ruled the case could not advance.
Starbucks has said its DEI efforts are lawful, voluntary, and aimed at fostering inclusion across its workforce.
The Seattle-based coffee chain has become one of several major companies facing legal challenges as conservative lawmakers and activists increasingly target corporate diversity programs nationwide.
The Missouri lawsuit fits into a broader campaign by Republican attorneys general to roll back DEI initiatives in corporate America, particularly after recent Supreme Court rulings curbing race-based preferences in higher education.
Similar cases have been brought against companies including Target and IBM, though judges have varied in how receptive they are to such claims.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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