A former Starbucks executive has taken the coffee giant to court, alleging she was pushed out after sounding the alarm about health and safety risks tied to new in-store equipment.
Janice Waszak, who previously worked in Starbucks’ equipment division, claims she was wrongfully terminated after flagging serious concerns about a proprietary system known as the Siren System. Starbucks, however, is pushing back hard.
“Safety is a top priority for Starbucks, and these claims are entirely without merit,” the company said in a statement. It added that Waszak “was separated from the company after an investigation into allegations that her conduct violated Starbucks workplace conduct policies.”
Allegations Of Retaliation And Discrimination
Waszak’s lawsuit accuses Starbucks of wrongful termination and sex discrimination. She alleges she was fired in “retaliation for reporting and opposing its materially false or misleading statements about Siren’s profitability and health and safety risks.”
Moreover, court filings claim the company “discriminated against Waszak based on her sex when it allegedly terminated her for inter-personal behaviors for which it has not discharged male employees.”
Starbucks has denied the accusations and said it looks forward to presenting “evidence in court.”
The Siren System And Investor Promises
Starbucks first unveiled the Siren System to investors in 2022, promoting it as a productivity booster designed to streamline operations and improve profit margins. The lawsuit states the company told investors the system would significantly increase efficiency across its stores.
However, “after further testing, Waszak learned Siren had several defects that created health and safety risks,” the suit stated. It further alleges that Waszak “realized that Siren might never be profitable and could lead to deep financial losses for the company.”
If true, those claims would directly challenge the optimistic projections presented to investors.
Live Demonstration Turns Chaotic
The most striking allegation centers on an October 2022 demonstration at Starbucks’ Tryer Center. According to the lawsuit, the Siren system was showcased to district managers and regional directors during a live event.
During that demonstration, “maggots dropped out of the overhead milk dispenser and fell onto the counter and beverages,” according to the lawsuit. The documents further alleged that “baristas flicked the maggots away to avoid attendees seeing them.”
Waszak claims she later discovered the source of the infestation. According to the suit, she “later learned that the maggots had bred in Siren’s milk dispenser because it was improperly cleaned.”
Meanwhile, employees allegedly voiced additional concerns about the machine’s design. Waszak alleged that Starbucks’s staff told her they believed the “complicated” milk dispenser design made it difficult to clean properly.
As the lawsuit describes it, “Waszak believed Siren’s complicated design, and staff’s inability to clean the milk dispenser properly, exacerbated the potential for maggots or other contaminants to grow in the equipment again, creating health and safety risks for Starbucks’s customers and staff.”
Fire Incident Raises Further Questions
The lawsuit also points to a September 2023 incident in which a Siren milk dispenser caught fire while in use at the Tryer Center. Starbucks later determined the blaze stemmed from a manufacturing defect involving faulty wiring.
However, the suit notes that at the time of the fire, the “Siren was already being tested in several Seattle-area test stores, and milk dispensers from the same manufacturer were being used by store baristas.”
Internal Discussions And Termination
According to court documents, Waszak discussed her safety concerns directly with her superior, Vice President of Global Equipment Natarajan Venkatakrishnan, whom she had reported to since 2018.
Still, her employment ended in December 2023.
Starbucks maintains its position that her separation followed an internal investigation into workplace conduct issues, not retaliation. The legal battle now heads toward court, where both sides say they are prepared to present evidence.
The outcome could carry implications not only for the company’s internal policies, but also for how corporate leaders respond when executives raise red flags about safety and financial risk.
