A fired Starbucks manager is suing the company and claiming he faced discrimination and harassment for being a straight man. Christopher Thevanesan insists he was a “model employee” but faced a “hostile work environment” because he is heterosexual and “gender-typical.” The ex-manager did not reveal the exact details for why he was fired in 2022, but claims his supervisors were hiding “the real reason for doing so.” Now, he’s going after both Starbucks and his LGBTQ+ former coworkers at the Rochester, New York location in a lawsuit that says he sustained “physical, emotional, economic, and psychological damages.” Thevanesan’s attorney added that his heterosexuality was “weaponized” against him. Starbucks did not immediately respond to request for comment. Thevanesan’s case comes only weeks after Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s parallel lawsuit claiming Starbucks has “systemic racial, sexual, and sexual orientation discrimination” because of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. It also echos the recent case of Marlean Ames, who claims she didn’t get a promotion at the Ohio Department of Youth Services because her organization chose a less qualified lesbian candidate. Ames is white, straight, and cisgender. Her case was reopened by the U.S. Supreme Court and a victory could allow more straight employees to allege discrimination.
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