Starbucks to pay $1M and end race- and sex-based hiring quotas in Florida settlement

Starbucks has agreed to pay $1 million to Florida and will stop using race- and sex-based hiring, promotion, and pay quotas under a settlement ending a civil rights lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by Florida's Attorney General in 2025, accused Starbucks of discriminatory practices tied to diversity goals, including executive bonuses linked to racial diversity targets. Starbucks will comply with Florida's civil rights law nationwide, submit annual compliance certifications for four years, and avoid organizations requiring racial diversity quotas for its board. The settlement resolves the case without Starbucks admitting wrongdoing and highlights ongoing debates over diversity initiatives in employment.

Starbucks shares are trading at USD 96.70 as of Sep 18, 2026 05:01 WIB on Pluang, which is closer to its 52-week high of USD 108.55 than its low of USD 78.46, showing relative strength despite the recent lawsuit settlement news. The stock has seen a modest 1-day decline of 0.66%, while investor sentiment remains strongly positive with 89% of Pluang orders to buy. This suggests that the market is weighing the settlement's impact cautiously against Starbucks' broader performance.