LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A former barista at a Starbucks store in Santa Monica has reached a settlement in her lawsuit against the retail coffee shop company in which she alleged she was subjected to gender discrimination and sexually harassed by a male supervisor who, among other things, rubbed ice cubes on her neck.
Plaintiff Princess Hodges alleged in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that she had to quit in 2022 because she could no longer tolerate her work conditions. On Wednesday, Hodges’ attorneys filed court papers with Judge Tony L. Richardson informing him of an “unconditional” resolution of the case, but no terms were divulged. The judge vacated the scheduled March 4 trial.
The 25-year-old Hodges’ case alleged discrimination, harassment, wrongful constructive termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Hodges was hired at the Starbucks store in the 2900 block of Ocean Park Boulevard in July 2022. She says that a month later, her boss “made it his mission to scare and flirt with Hodges every chance he got.”
Whenever she had her back turned to her supervisor, he would “constantly tap on her shoulder and lean so close to Hodges that she felt his warm breath on her neck,” according to the suit, which further alleged he would lean close to one of her ears and whisper, “Boo, Princess or hey.”
Each such encounter frightened Hodges, the suit stated.
Despite her pleas to stop, her boss continued creeping up behind her two to three times daily, the suit alleged.
Hodges complained about the supervisor to another boss who promised to do something, but instead did nothing, according to the suit brought in February 2023.
Hodges resigned in September 2022 because she believed she had no other options to cope with her work conditions, according to the suit.
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