JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KTVI) – Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, claiming the international coffee chain has violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws.

In a lawsuit formally filed Tuesday, Bailey claims that Starbucks has engaged in race-and-sex-based hiring practices, unlawfully segregated employees, and offered certain training and employment benefits exclusively to select groups.

Bailey alleges that initiatives designed to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion ultimately amount to unlawful discrimination.

The lawsuit, citing employment data from 2020 and 2024, asserted that Starbucks’ workforce has become “more female and less white” over time. Bailey contends that Starbucks uses quotas to shape its workforce and board of directors, arguing that its policies disadvantage other employees.

According to a 2021 memo from Starbucks, also cited in the lawsuit, Starbucks has set and tracked annual inclusion and diversity goals, aiming for at least 30% BIPOC representation at corporate levels and 40% at retail and manufacturing levels by 2025. BIPOC refers to employees who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

Per the lawsuit, Starbucks’ U.S. workforce was 69% women and 49% BIPOC in 2020, and those numbers shifted to 70.9% women and 46.5% BIPOC as of September 2024.

Starbucks has also pledged to create mentorship programs for BIPOC employees and provide additional training and advancement opportunities for those groups, according to the memo. Bailey argues that such targeted initiatives violate anti-discrimination laws by giving preferential treatment to certain racial or ethnic groups over others.

“With Starbucks’ discriminatory patterns, practices, and policies, Missouri’s consumers are required to pay higher prices and wait longer for goods and services that could be provided for less had Starbucks employed the most qualified workers, regardless of their race, color, sex, or national origin,” said Bailey via a news release announcing the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks a court order to compel Starbucks to immediately stop what Bailey describes as discriminatory patterns and practices.

In a statement to Nexstar’s KTVI, Starbucks said, “We disagree with the attorney general and these allegations are inaccurate. We are deeply committed to creating opportunity for every single one of our partners (employees). Our programs and benefits are open to everyone and lawful. Our hiring practices are inclusive, fair and competitive and designed to ensure the strongest candidate for every job every time.”

The chain has nearly 200 locations in Missouri, according to the lawsuit, just a fraction of the more than 15,000 cafes the company has nationwide.