Starbucks Settles Florida DEI Lawsuit, Agrees to No Race or Sex Preferences Nationwide

Starbucks has agreed to settle Florida’s discrimination lawsuit over its diversity policies, with the company committing to refrain from using race- or sex-based quotas or preferences in hiring, promotions and pay under an agreement the state says applies nationwide.

Under the agreement announced Thursday, Starbucks will pay $1 million to the Florida Department of Legal Affairs to cover costs tied to the case and submit annual compliance certifications during the next four years. The company admitted no wrongdoing.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the lawsuit on Dec. 10, 2025, accusing Starbucks of violating the Florida Civil Rights Act through diversity, equity and inclusion policies that allegedly favored workers based on race and sex.

The complaint targeted several parts of Starbucks’ diversity program, including racial hiring goals, management representation targets, executive compensation linked to diversity objectives and mentorship programs the state said were limited by race. Florida had sought civil penalties that it said could reach tens of millions of dollars.

Under the settlement, Starbucks committed to comply with Florida civil rights law in hiring, promotion, pay, executive compensation, mentorship programs and supplier selection. The company also agreed to stay out of organizations that require increases in the racial diversity of corporate boards.

The attorney general’s office said those commitments apply across Starbucks’ U.S. operations, extending the agreement beyond stores and employees in Florida.

The nationwide scope means the same restrictions will govern employment decisions throughout Starbucks’ U.S. operations, giving the settlement a reach well beyond the state where the lawsuit was filed.

The case focused on how far a company can go in pursuing workplace diversity goals when those goals begin influencing hiring, pay, promotions or other employment decisions.

Florida law bars employers from discriminating because of race or sex in compensation and other terms or conditions of employment. The settlement resolves the state’s claims without a court ruling on whether Starbucks’ earlier policies violated that law.

Florida’s complaint reached back to diversity goals Starbucks announced in 2020. The company said at the time that it wanted people of color to hold at least 30% of corporate positions and 40% of retail and manufacturing roles in the United States by 2025.

The state alleged that those numerical targets, along with incentives tied to diversity objectives, affected employment decisions.

Starbucks Chief Legal Officer Pilar Ramos said the company was pleased to resolve the case and would continue focusing on jobs, career opportunities and the communities it serves.

Uthmeier said the agreement ensures Starbucks’ policies comply with Florida civil rights protections. His office characterized the challenged practices as race- and sex-based goals, quotas and preferences.

Starbucks faced a similar challenge to its diversity policies in Missouri earlier this year, but that case ended differently.

U.S. District Judge John Ross dismissed Missouri’s lawsuit in February after finding that the state failed to identify a worker or applicant who suffered an adverse employment action because of the challenged practices. Missouri has appealed.

The settlement closes Florida’s case without a judicial ruling on Starbucks’ earlier diversity policies. Starbucks will now spend the next four years certifying that its U.S. employment practices comply with the agreement.