Starbucks was ordered to pay $25.6 million in damages to a former employee this week. Shannon Phillips claimed she was fired from her role as a regional director because she was white. After a 2018 viral video, Phillips pushed back on disciplining a white manager who wasn't involved, she said. The director — who disagreed with Starbucks' handling of the issue that triggered a nationwide discussion on race — had claimed in a lawsuit that she was fired because she was white. She disputed that the white district manager was involved, said she had no performance-based reason to suspend him, and said the store in question was overseen by a Black district manager who was not facing discipline, she said in the suit.

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Persons: Shannon Phillips, Phillips, wasn't, —, Kevin Johnson, Laura Carlin Mattiacci, Aaron McDade Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Court, Philadelphia Starbucks, Employees, CNN, New York Times Locations: Philadelphia, New Jersey, Ohio, Black