Former Starbucks Executive Sues Company Over Alleged Retaliation After Raising Safety Concerns
Starbucks is facing a lawsuit from a former senior executive who alleges the company terminated her after she raised internal concerns about safety risks associated with new in-store equipment.
According to court filings, Janice Waszak, a former Starbucks executive involved in equipment development, claims the company retaliated against her after she reported health and safety issues tied to a proprietary system known as the Siren System. She also alleges gender-based discrimination, saying she was terminated for interpersonal conduct that did not result in similar consequences for male employees.
The company disputes the allegations. In a public statement, it said safety is a top priority and described the claims as entirely without merit. The company stated that the former executive was separated from her role following an internal investigation into alleged violations of workplace conduct policies and said it plans to present evidence in court.
The lawsuit focuses on the Siren System, a proprietary equipment platform the company announced to investors in 2022 as a major operational upgrade. At the time, it described the system as a tool intended to improve store efficiency and support revenue and profit growth. According to the complaint, the former executive later concluded through internal testing and employee feedback that the system had design issues that created safety risks and raised concerns about whether it could meet the financial expectations shared with investors.
Those concerns allegedly surfaced during a live demonstration of the Siren System in October 2022 at the company’s Tryer Center, a training and development facility. According to the lawsuit, insects fell from an overhead milk dispenser onto the counter and beverages during the demonstration. The filing alleges that store employees removed the insects to avoid drawing attention from district managers and regional directors in attendance.
The lawsuit claims the former executive later learned the insects had bred inside the dispenser because it was not properly cleaned. According to the complaint, employees told her the dispenser’s complex design made thorough cleaning difficult. She alleges that the design increased the risk that contaminants could develop again, creating ongoing health and safety concerns for customers and employees.
The complaint further alleges that safety issues extended beyond sanitation. In September 2023, a Siren milk dispenser reportedly caught fire while being used at the Tryer Center. The company later determined the incident was caused by a manufacturing defect involving faulty wiring. According to the lawsuit, at the time of the fire, Siren units were already being tested in several Seattle-area stores, and milk dispensers from the same manufacturer were in use in active retail locations.
The former executive alleges she raised these concerns internally with company leadership, including her direct supervisor, the vice president of global equipment, to whom she had reported for several years. The lawsuit claims that instead of addressing the issues she identified, the company terminated her employment in December 2023.
Those allegations place the dispute within the legal framework governing retaliation for protected activity. Employment laws generally prohibit companies from firing or otherwise punishing workers for raising concerns they reasonably believe involve safety risks, regulatory violations, or misleading corporate statements. Courts often examine the timing of internal complaints and the employer’s response when evaluating whether an adverse employment action is connected to protected reporting.
The lawsuit also raises claims under employment discrimination law. The former executive alleges the company treated her differently based on gender by terminating her for conduct that allegedly did not lead to the same outcome for male employees. Such claims often focus on whether workplace rules are enforced consistently, with courts comparing how similarly situated employees are treated under comparable circumstances.
The lawsuit further touches on corporate disclosure obligations. The former executive claims she opposed what she describes as materially false or misleading statements about the Siren System’s safety and profitability. Disclosure rules are intended to protect investors by requiring companies to provide accurate information when promoting initiatives that could affect financial performance, particularly when internal information points to potential risks.
Starbucks is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, operating thousands of stores across North America and international markets. The company relies on standardized equipment and operational systems to maintain consistency across its global footprint, with changes often implemented across large numbers of locations at once.
The company maintains that the former executive’s termination was unrelated to her concerns about the Siren System, saying her separation followed an internal investigation into conduct issues.
