On February 5, 2026, Judge Ross of the Eastern District of Missouri granted Starbucks Corporation’s motion to dismiss the Missouri Attorney General’s case challenging Starbucks’ DEI policies. The Court dismissed the case for lack of standing. The Court also held, in the alternative, that the Missouri Attorney General lacked statutory authority to bring claims under Title VII, Section 1981, and the Missouri Human Rights Act, and that the complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted.
Starbucks Workers United (SBWU)—a campaign of Workers United aimed at organizing Starbucks employees—submitted a brief of amicus curiae in support of dismissing the Missouri Attorney General’s case. SBWU represents more than 11,000 baristas and shift supervisors at more than 500 Starbucks retail locations across the country, including more than 400 workers at 13 retail locations in the State of Missouri. SBWU’s brief provided the perspectives of retail workers across the State of Missouri and argued that Starbucks’ DEI policies are lawful and necessary, and indeed do not go far enough, in light of company practices that continue to impede an equitable and inclusive workplace.