A Starbucks employee has lost their job after serving up an officer a cup with an ‘unacceptable’ message.
Last Friday (9 January), controversy erupted at a Starbucks in Norwalk, Los Angeles, resulting in an employee’s actions being branded ‘discouraging and disrespectful’.
The store, located at Firestone Boulevard and Pioneer Boulevard, was visited by deputy Brandon Longoria, who was in the midst of a 16-hour shift.
During the routine coffee run, the law official was allegedly given a drink with a drawing on the side.
Advert
The marker art allegedly made reference to the viral ‘John Pork’ meme.
An interpretation of the virtual pig influencer, which has taken social media by storm, was plastered on the side of the Starbucks cup, and handed over to Longoria.
The policeman took a picture of the doodle and uploaded it to social media.
Advert
He explained that pig is ‘commonly used to demean law enforcement’, and claimed the drawing was ‘extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable’.
Longoria said: “All I wanted was caffeine, but instead I left feeling uneasy,” as per KTLA.
In a statement, Jaci Anderson, Starbucks' director of global communications, alleged that the cup was not intended to be handed out to the officer.
She explained that the barista had been drawing on coffee cups earlier in the day, and that a 'series of unfortunate events' led to the cup being handed to the deputy.
Advert
"This was unacceptable. We have reached out to the customer several times and leaders in the Sheriff’s Department to apologise,” a spokesperson said.
“We have a deep appreciation for law enforcement who are dedicated to keeping our communities safe. We immediately launched an investigation and are taking swift action.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told LADbible Group: "The Department is aware and deeply concerned about an incident that occurred at a local coffee shop in the city of Norwalk on Friday, January 9th, in which a deputy, who had stopped for coffee, was deliberately served a cup bearing a hand-drawn image of a pig, which is commonly used to demean law enforcement.
Advert
"This action was extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable. The deputy quickly reported the incident to the store manager, who advised that the matter would be investigated.
"Upon learning about this incident from the employee, the Sheriff immediately escalated the matter and contacted an individual in the coffee company’s corporate security division to formally raise concerns and to ensure accountability. In addition, the Sheriff spoke directly with the deputy to check on his well-being, convey his full support, and make it clear that disrespectful actions will not be tolerated against our personnel.
The office continued, reporting that LA deputies serve the community with ‘professionalism, dedication, and commitment, often under difficult and dangerous circumstances’ and that they deserve to be ‘treated respectfully and with basic human dignity’.
“Acts that promote hostility and division toward law enforcement undermine community trust and public safety.”
Advert
LADbible Group has contacted Starbucks for comment.
The New York Post reported that this is not the first time that law enforcement officials have encountered issues at Starbucks.
On Thanksgiving in 2019, an Oklahoma-based barista wrote the word ‘PIG’ on a coffee label.
After the incident drew national attention, the employee was fired, and the coffee chain issued an apology.
In the same year, an employee asked six uniformed police officers to move or vacate the store, alleging a customer said they felt ‘unsafe’.
This action prompted backlash, with Starbucks apologising again.
Topics: Starbucks , Social Media, US Food, Drinks
Ella Scott