A fired Starbucks manager is suing the coffee chain and five former colleagues, alleging he suffered "extreme" harassment from his LGBTQ+ coworkers for being a "heterosexual, gender typical man."
Christopher Thevanesan became the manager of a Rochester Starbucks location in 2014, The Independent reported, and supervised employees who "were members of the LGBQT+ community."
"At all relevant times, [Thevanesan] was harassed by the staff due to his sex, sexual orientation and/or gender in the course of [his] employment." the complaint stated without offering examples, The Independent reported.
The plaintiff was fired from his position in February 2022 for an unspecified violation that his lawyer alleged was pretextual and "intended to hide the real reason for doing so." The complaint argued he was terminated "because he is a heterosexual, gender typical man."
"He was given several different conflicting reasons for why he was discharged," Thevanesan's lawyer told the outlet. "We're in the course of discovery, so we're still trying to verify what their claims are."
The 47-year-old former Starbucks employee, who now works at a bank, said he endured emotional, psychological and economic damages as well as "serious, permanent physical harm and emotional distress." He also accused his bosses of ignoring the "extreme and outrageous" harassment his colleagues directed at him.
Thevanesan is seeking compensatory, liquidated, punitive and statutory damages, determined by the court, in addition to his attorneys' fees.
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