Starbucks workers fired for drawing on cup in alleged ‘insult to law enforcement’ – what happened

[Financial News] Two employees at a Starbucks store in the United States have been fired after drawing a pig on the cup of a drink ordered by a sheriff's deputy.
According to foreign media including the Daily Mail and FOX 14 on the 14th, an incident recently occurred at a Starbucks in Norwalk, California, near Los Angeles (LA), where a hand-drawn pig on a cup was allegedly given to a deputy on purpose to insult him.
The deputy, who was on duty at the time, ordered coffee on the 9th and discovered that the cup he received had a pig drawn on it by hand.
The deputy wrote on his social media that "a pig is a symbol commonly used to disparage law enforcement" and called the act "highly insulting and unacceptable." He added, "I had just stopped by to buy coffee after a 16-hour shift, and this is how I was treated," arguing that it was "a disrespectful act toward the law enforcement authority that works for the local community."
As the controversy grew, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department issued an official statement saying the act was intentional and highly inappropriate, and that it had asked Starbucks headquarters to take responsible action.
Sheriff Robert Luna was also reported to have personally contacted Starbucks headquarters to convey his concerns.
However, the pig drawing in question was reportedly a type of meme that went viral on social media such as TikTok around 2024, and there was said to be no intention of targeting or disparaging a specific group. It was also reported that the drawing had been made on the cup several hours before the deputy came into the store to place his order.
Even so, Starbucks stated that providing a cup with such a drawing to a customer violates company policy, and said it had therefore fired two employees, issuing a sincere apology.
The company added that it holds deep respect for law enforcement agencies and the police officers who protect community safety, and pledged to prevent a recurrence.
Online reactions to the incident have been sharply divided. Some argue that "insulting law enforcement authority is a legitimate reason for disciplinary action" and support the responses by Starbucks and the sheriff's department. Others counter that it is "an overblown interpretation and an excessive punishment."
The controversy has also brought renewed attention to Starbucks' past "cup racism" scandal. In 2018, two Black men at a Starbucks in Philadelphia were arrested by police and later released after sitting in the store without placing an order.
Amid the ensuing uproar over racial discrimination, Starbucks temporarily closed more than 8,000 stores across the United States and provided anti-bias training to some 175,000 employees.
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter