My question is can you deny use of the bathroom to noncustomers or not? If you ask people to leave your place of business because they are not customers, can the police force them to leave or not?
Yes, you can do both on charges of loitering. Now the but....
But in this case, the actions of the manager and police were clearly discriminatory. Everything I write from this point on is based on reports that I've read. I admit that we only know what has been presented to us.
It is reported that the two men in question were real estate agents awaiting the arrival of a friend or colleague. They arrived at the Starbucks, one asked for the restroom code and was refused. They sat down and waited for the other man to arrive. They were asked if they were ready to order and said "no".
I want to know if there was more to that conversation, did the men explain that they were waiting for their friend/colleague arrive or was it a quick one off conversation?
Within THREE MINUTES the manager summoned 911.
The police arrived. I don't know what happened insofar as exchanges between the two men and police are concerned.
The police cuffed the men and at that point, their friend/colleague arrived. The friend/colleague challenge (on camera) the arrest of the two men.
My understanding is that there were other white customers present also "loitering" on the premises and they weren't challenged. My understanding is that one man was refused the restroom code, while a white customer was given the code without challenge.
The men who were arrested on the premises were not read their rights. They were cuffed and taken away to sit in the police station holding area for hours.
We don't know enough details, but I do think we know enough details to judge that the actions of both the manager and police were discrimatory based on racial profiling.
Breakdown of communication, racial profiling...no doubt in my mind that this was the case. Unless something comes out that changes my mind, that's how I see it.
With regard to sensitivity training. My guess is that Starbucks is doing this to improve guest services. Making staff aware of how they act on their perceptions and how those perceptions can be based on bias.
In my own training and education, I had to examine how my own bias could come into play in judging people based on their race/culture and intentionally learn to recognize that bias and how it manifests itself in my work. A small example, an Asian mother who arrived during lunch to pick up her child who was still eating. She sat down and spoon fed her 4 year old son.
When an American teacher sees this, s/he might assume that the mother is "babying" her child and preventing his personal growth and the development of self help skills. In HER culture, spoon feeding a male child is a sign of
respect.
I think it's important that we not only respect differences but engage in education that heightens our awareness of how we meet and approach people in society, and question our own behaviors.
I believe this is what Starbucks is striving to do and I support the company in that effort.
