Starbucks Fires Barista For Refusing To Wear ‘Pride’ Shirt
A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, claiming she was fired because she refused to wear a company Pride T-shirt because it reportedly violated her religious beliefs.
Betsy Fresse, from Newark, said her managers at the Glen Ridge franchise “assured her” in 2019 that she didn’t have to wear the T-shirt during her shift. However, later on she was let go for “acting in violation of Starbucks’ core values.”
Betsy claimed that the staff knew about her strong religious beliefs, however, her notice of release noted that she told her co-workers that they “need Jesus.”
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The filing writes that Fresse “holds no enmity toward individuals who ascribe to the LGBTQ lifestyle and/or make up the LGBTQ community, (she) believes that being made to wear a Pride T-shirt as a condition of employment would be tantamount to forced speech and inaccurately show her advocacy of a lifestyle in direct contradiction to her religious beliefs.”
Her beliefs include “that marriage is defined in the Bible as between one man and one woman only, and that any sexual activity which takes place outside of this context is contrary to her understanding of Biblical teaching.”
Fresse is seeking damages in backpay, punitive damages, money for emotional pain and suffering as her attorneys’ fees.