Phillips, who worked for Starbucks for about 13 years and managed a region of stores in the area, was fired after the the arrest of two Black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks in April 2018. The New Jersey jury returned a verdict of $25.6 million, including $25 million for punitive damages and $600,000 in compensatory damages, according to Console Mattiacci Law, which represents Phillips.
” Phillips, who at the time oversaw areas including Philadelphia, said that Starbucks had ordered her to place a White employee on administrative leave as part of these efforts, due to alleged discriminatory conduct which Phillips said she knew was inaccurate. After Phillips tried to defend the employee, the company let her go, she said. The reason for termination, according to the complaint, was that “‘the situation is not recoverable.