Imagine you're at a Starbucks coffee shop when criminals try to rob the store. But, some of the baristas bravely fought them despite the robbers being armed with guns.
A Starbucks coffee cup is seen inside a Starbucks Coffee shop in Washington, DC, April 17, 2018, following the company's announcement that they will close more than 8,000 US stores.
You and other people in the shop will definitely call them heroes. However, this is not what a Starbucks barista experienced. Instead of rewarding him and his colleagues for their bravery, the coffeehouse chain decided to fire him.
Because of this, he and his attorneys filed a lawsuit against the world's largest coffeehouse chain. Here are other details you need to know.
Starbucks Barista Fired After Stopping Robbery Files Lawsuit
20-year-old Michael Harris was working at the St. Louis Starbucks in Missouri. He was assigned to a drive-thru shift in 2023 before a robbery happened.
In December 2023, two armed men entered the store and began threatening customers to steal their belongings, as reported by NBC News.
According to Fox 2 Now's recent report, the two criminals were identified as 37-year-old Joshua Noe and 35-year-old Marquise Porter-Doyle.
Court documents stated that the two robbers ordered seven Starbucks staff and one customer to the ground; demanding employees to open the safe deposit box and the cash register.
However, the criminals made one major mistake after one of them hit Michael Harris on the head with a gun. This would certainly scare anyone.
But, the Starbucks barista was able to find the courage to stand his ground after realizing that the firearm used by the robbers was a fake one.
He noticed this when the trigger of the handgun fell off. After that, Harris and other Starbucks employees fought them off, forcing one of the robbers to flee.
"They terminated me. They didn't really give me a reason why I was terminated.
They just told me I was, and I just had to accept it," said the barista.
They were able to restrain the other criminal until the police arrived. However, instead of getting a reward or being commended for their bravery, Harris received a call from Starbucks, saying that he was being terminated.
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Why Starbucks Fired Hero Barista
A Starbucks logo is seen as members and supporters of Starbucks Workers United protest outside of a Starbucks store in Dupont Circle on November 16, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Disappointed with Starbucks' decision, the hero barista decided to file a lawsuit against the coffeehouse chain.
But, Starbucks released a statement to defend its decision. The American coffee firm said that employees are expected to follow the company's protocols.
These include ensuring the safety of customers and partners during dangerous situations and emergencies. Starbucks said that when there's a robbery, ALL staff should comply with the demands of the criminals.
Starbucks added that employees are expected to avoid doing or saying anything that could further escalate the incident.
However, Harris' attorneys said that the policy of the American coffeehouse chain is unfair.
"There's no way that an individual can be faced with danger, attempted potential death of themselves or another, and then once they've been hit or downed, that they cannot defend themselves," explained Atty. Ryan Krupp.
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