A former barista at a Starbucks store in Santa Monica can proceed to trial with her lawsuit against the retail coffee shop company in which alleges she was subjected to gender discrimination and sexually harassed by a male supervisor who, among other things, rubbed ice cubes on her neck.
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Plaintiff Princess Hodges alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that she had to quit in 2022 because she could no longer tolerate her work conditions. During a hearing Wednesday, Judge Tony L. Richardson denied a defense motion to dismiss plaintiff the 24-year-old Hodges' case in its entirety, but he did toss out the plaintiff's cause of action for retaliation, a portion of her cause of action alleging failure to prevent retaliation as well has her request for punitive damages.
Hodges can move forward to trial with her allegations of discrimination, harassment, wrongful constructive termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
"Plaintiff advances ... detailing how her work environment was so abusive and, despite her store manager telling her he would address the issues when she reported them while still employed, he did not, and plaintiff had to resign," the judge wrote.
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 alleges he would lean close to one of her ears and whisper, "boo, Princess or hey."
Each such encounter frightened Hodges, the suit states.
Despite her pleas to stop, her boss continued creeping up behind her two to three times daily, the suit alleges.
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, which further states that the plaintiff has suffered financial losses and emotional distress. Trial of Hodges' case is scheduled March 3, 2025.
"Hodges constantly feels as though she has to look over her shoulders in her interactions with men...," the suit states.
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