Last June, a federal jury in Camden, New Jersey awarded $25.6 million to a white Starbucks manager who was deemed to have been scapegoated following a racially charged incident. The former employee’s successful claim for reverse discrimination underscores a shifting legal landscape for such cases. Significantly, this ruling included $25 million in punitive damages. This contrasted sharply with the outcome for the two Black men whose wrongful arrests in a Philadelphia Starbucks had initially ignited the controversy; they settled for a symbolic $1 and a commitment from Starbucks to set up a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs.
Reverse discrimination claims are no longer as rare as they once were, but geography appears to play an outsized role in how these cases are adjudicated. Venue remains a critical strategic consideration for litigators. For more information, visit Law.com.