Is charging extra for non-dairy milk an act of discrimination against people who are lactose intolerant?
This is the question three Starbucks customers are raising by filing a $5m class-action lawsuit against Starbucks for making customers who do not consume dairy pay more for their lattes and Frappuccinos.
The three California customers – two from Los Angeles county, and one from Madera – are all lactose intolerant, and when they buy drinks at Starbucks, they are charged an extra fee of $0.50 to $0.80 per drink, according to a complaint filed in early March in a federal court in Fresno, California.
These menu surcharges violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as a California civil rights law, the complaint alleges.
