Judge dismisses Missouri lawsuit against Starbucks’ DEI practices

On Feb. 5, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Missouri dismissed a case against Starbucks, according to Reuters.

The lawsuit alleged Starbucks used its DEI programming to discriminate against certain job applicants and workers. It was filed by then-Attorney General Andrew Bailey in 2025 and continued by Catherine Hanaway when she took over for him following his FBI appointment later that year. Hanaway pointed to Starbucks’ 2020 policy which tied executive pay to DEI, and also accused the company of giving preferential treatment to “non-white, non-male” workers and other minorities, the Hill reported.

The state wanted Starbucks to rehire any individuals who the state claimed were discriminated against as a result of Starbucks’ DEI policies, but the judge ruled that the state did not clarify the demographic, “including whether and how many of these applicants were white, male, or heterosexual,” in Missouri that was allegedly “discharged or rejected” by Starbucks.

“The Court cannot reasonably draw the inference that any of them [Missouri residents] have been harmed simply because of Defendant’s alleged DEI policies, as Plaintiff leaves to the imagination the actual enforcement and implementation of these policies,” the judge ruled, according to the public decision.

Additionally, the ruling noted that the lawsuit was “speculative,” and did not provide evidence that Starbucks’ DEI policies led to employee dismissals or negatively affected consumers.

Hanaway said that Missouri will “continue aggressively pursuing this case,” despite the dismissal, according to Missouri-based news outlet, KTVI.

The decision provides a “lucid window” into a “split-screen,” David Glasgow, executive director at the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU Law School and co-author of the forthcoming book, How Equality Wins, said in a LinkedIn post. He noted that while the Trump administration has made certain claims about DEI programs, judges rule based on analyzing facts and precedent, so “the Starbucks decision provides a helpful illustration.”

The ruling came just two days after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed to subpoena Nike over its DEI policies, also in the Missouri Eastern District Court, HR Brew reported.