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Starbucks Settles Dwarfism Discrimination Lawsuit For $75K
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 21, 2011
Modified Aug 21, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 21, 2011
Modified Aug 21, 2011
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Starbucks is settling a discrimination lawsuit for $75,000 with a Texas woman who was fired because of her short stature due to dwarfism. Elsa Sallard claimed in an EEOC filing that she offered to use a stool or stepladder to work at the counter, but was "ignored." Reuters reports that later that same day, the manager fired her because "she would pose a 'danger' to customers and employees."
As part of the settlement, Starbucks has agreed to provide disability training to its stores in El Paso, where the incident occurred, and said in a statement, "Reaching an equitable agreement with the EEOC allows Starbucks to reinforce this commitment, as well as focus on training to ensure all our partners are treated fairly." No word on whether unemployed job seekers are seeking to file a lawsuit to get their laptop juice back so they can someday not be forced to sit in a Starbucks.
Tagged
corporate coffee shops
discrimination
dwarfism
starbucks
texas
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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