A lawsuit filed in Washington claims a longtime Starbucks leader was pushed out after refusing to stay quiet about equipment she believed was dangerous.
Janice Waszak says her nearly 20-year career at Starbucks ended not because of misconduct, but because she would not sign off on testing results she believed put employees and customers at risk. Waszak joined the company in 2004 and eventually became Director of Concept Innovation, overseeing product and equipment testing at the Tryer Innovation Center in Seattle.
According to the complaint filed on January 26, the conflict centers on a drink-making system known as the Siren System. Developed around 2020 or 2021, the equipment was designed to speed up beverage production. Waszak was responsible for supervising its testing and says problems appeared early and kept stacking up.
The lawsuit claims that in October 2022, Waszak discovered maggots inside a Siren milk dispenser because the design made it nearly impossible to clean properly. Then, in September 2023, a Siren machine allegedly caught fire due to a manufacturing defect. Waszak says she raised concerns internally, especially since the machines were already being tested in active stores, but leadership failed to act.
Waszak also alleges that members of senior leadership tried to influence the outcome of testing. She claims she was pressured to share a draft report so negative findings could be changed to look more favorable. She refused, and the final report stated the system required additional development before any wider rollout.
Despite that conclusion, the lawsuit says plans moved forward to expand the equipment in early 2024. On December 7, 2023, Waszak filed an ethics complaint, accusing leadership of manipulating data and warning that she feared retaliation. Four days later, she was fired after a complaint accused her of being overly critical and unprofessional.
“Upon information and belief, Starbucks has not terminated male employees who have been accused of engaging in similar or worse conduct under Starbucks’s policies,” the lawsuit states.
Starbucks denied the claims, telling PEOPLE, “Safety is a top priority for Starbucks, and these claims are entirely without merit. Ms. Waszak was separated from the company after an investigation into allegations that her conduct violated Starbucks workplace conduct policies. We look forward to presenting our evidence in court.”
