Nocatee, Florida — State authorities and Starbucks Corporation have finalized a negotiated resolution concluding a civil enforcement action regarding corporate employment practices, state officials announced this week. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier confirmed the voluntary settlement, which resolves claims initially brought in late 2025 under the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992.
The state legal action alleged that the national coffee company maintained employment initiatives that improperly weighed demographic classifications during hiring selections, worker promotions, and vendor contracting. Under the negotiated terms, Starbucks committed to adhere to Florida civil rights law, which disallows gender or racial benchmarks and set-asides across workforce recruitment, career progression, payroll, and vendor contracts.
> "Every Floridian deserves to be hired, promoted, and compensated based on merit, qualifications, and character—not race or sex." — Attorney General James Uthmeier
Pursuant to the settlement framework, Starbucks agreed to avoid affiliation with outside organizations that condition membership on establishing racial diversity targets for corporate leadership boards. The company's chief legal officer will provide annual compliance verifications to state regulators over the next four years, and the firm will remit $1 million to reimburse the Department of Legal Affairs for investigative costs and legal expenditures.
