A group of California residents have filed a lawsuit against Starbucks and claim the popular coffeehouse chain discriminates against lactose-intolerant customers. The $5 million class action lawsuit represents Maria Bolliger, Dawn Miller and Shunda Smith, three women who allege Starbucks has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by charging lactose intolerant coffee lovers like them more for nondairy milk options, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This leads Bolliger, Miller and Smith to pay between 50 and 80 cents more on their orders to substitute 2% milk with an alternative. When the lawsuit was filed, dairy products like whole milk, half & half and heavy cream were priced between 3 and 32 cents per fluid ounce. In comparison, soy, coconut, almond, and oat milk often sell for between 4 and 7 cents per fluid ounce.
For these people, it’s not a choice since they can’t drink regular milk. Charging a surcharge is discrimination against them," he told the Los Angeles Times. Gibson previously represented plaintiffs in a similar lawsuit against Starbucks in Florida. While he did not reveal whether a settlement had been reached, he said the new lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Fresno, California, has nationwide implications. U.S.