Christine Drake, left, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Lisa Cox, Luis Lucero and Kathryn Olson meet with the media at the Federal Building.
Posted on 09/18/2006 1:20:03 PM PDT by Cagey
When Christine Drake worked as a Starbucks barista, the Seattle woman with psychiatric disabilities said it was the first time in her life that she "felt a sense of accomplishment."
But after two years on the job, a new manager at the Starbucks store at 425 Queen Anne Ave. N. in Seattle allegedly discriminated against Drake, decreased her hours and berated her in front of customers, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Lisa Cox, an EEOC lawyer, said the world's largest coffee retailer ignored Drake's requests for help and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not accommodating her special needs and by then firing her.
Drake, who currently is not employed, is bipolar and has major depression, borderline personality and attention deficit disorders, according to EEOC attorneys.
The EEOC on Thursday sued Starbucks in U.S. District Court, and the government wants Starbucks to pay Drake $40,000 in lost wages. The EEOC also will ask a jury, if the case goes to court, for up to $300,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, said Kathryn Olson, an EEOC supervisory trial attorney.
Starbucks said it had not been contacted by the EEOC about the lawsuit, and it had not seen a copy of the complaint.
"We cannot provide further comment at this time," the company said in a statement.
Starbucks issued its statement Thursday afternoon after being provided with a copy of the complaint by the Seattle P-I. The EEOC said it sued Starbucks only after the government was unsuccessful in reaching a voluntary settlement following meetings with the company. The EEOC said it filed the suit following an investigation that began after Drake approached the government just more than a year ago.
The suit also seeks to have Starbucks engage in training on anti-discrimination laws.
The EEOC lawsuit comes a month after Starbucks, which long has been known for its health benefits and competitive wages for employees, fired the co-founder of a union claiming to represent employees at six of its Manhattan coffee houses.
The EEOC said Drake, now 34, began working at Starbucks in September 2001, and for two years had two different managers who accommodated her by giving her additional time to study to make drinks. They also would let her practice making drinks in the Queen Anne store, and she didn't have to make coffee during peak business hours.
However, when a new manager took over in August 2003, that person -- who is not identified in the suit -- no longer provided those accommodations, the EEOC said. Drake said she was told by that manager that she was "not Starbucks material" before she was fired in May 2004.
Christine Drake, left, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Lisa Cox, Luis Lucero and Kathryn Olson meet with the media at the Federal Building.
Drake, who currently is not employed, is bipolar and has major depression, borderline personality and attention deficit disorders
Sounds like she should be head of the DNC.
When I saw the headline I thought they were being sued for serving only black coffee.
And she's working around aerosolized caffiene.
That's a good thing.
Barista Action Figure that comes with two interchangeable heads for dual personalities.
What's her DU name?
Nightmare employee. I bet she ran off more customers than anyone.
I can see this charming gal behind the counter. "Yeah, whadda ya want"? But then that sums up so many wait staff that one runs into these days.
Sounds like all the staff at my local Starbucks --
She would fit in down in Florida
Send her down
Saying "I never knew when I was coming or going!"
Two years and she still didn't know how to make drinks????!!!!!
I have trained several Starbucks baristas, you were usually given about a month to get it down.
On the other hand, I worked at one where they hired a guy who admitted he had learing disabilties during his interview. They fired him three weeks later. That was wrong and I did complain about the way he was treated. But this gal had more than enough time to learn how to do her job and of course your hours get cut if you can't perform. That's any job.
That pic looks like the du board of directors.
The NERVE of this company. Who are they to choose what type of employee they hire. Put her in front of that blazing hot steamer and turn her loose. Oh, might want to up the work comp coverage first.
Just more attorneys, like fleas, just trying to get blood out of anything or anyone...
She's had five years to learn the drinks and still hasn't?
Cybil ask EEOC for back pay, overtime and vacation pay for her many personalities.
Saying "I never knew when I was coming or going!"
Translation: she's nuts.
New manager: "This is a business, not a charity. You've been on the job two years and still haven't learned how to perform basic tasks? You're fired."
"What are you? Stupid???"
"..yes. But you can't tell the customers that..."
Maybe she should move to New Orleans and sue since the mayor has said that he wants it to be a "chocolate city".
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