Fresno Man Sues Starbucks Over Firing Linked to Sex Offender Status
A Clovis Starbucks shift supervisor earning $29.10/hour sued the company after being fired when managers learned he was a registered sex offender, despite 8 years on the job.
Samuel Garza III spent eight years working his way up to shift supervisor at a Clovis Starbucks, earned "Employee of the Month" recognition, trained new hires, and collected $29.10 an hour without a single disciplinary action on his record. In June 2025, managers discovered he was a registered sex offender and fired him. Now Garza is suing Starbucks in Fresno County Superior Court, arguing the company knew exactly who he was when it hired him.
The lawsuit, filed Feb. 24, centers on a 2017 background check Garza alleges Starbucks conducted before bringing him on at the Clovis location, two months after his release from custody. "At the time of his hiring and throughout his employment, Plaintiff answered all questions from Defendants truthfully and fully disclosed his background when required. Plaintiff is informed and believes, and thereon alleges, that Defendants conducted a background check in 2017 prior to hiring Plaintiff, which showed his conviction," the lawsuit states.
Court records show Garza received between 300 and 600 images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct from December 2008 to September 2009.
His attorney, Annie Lu, has filed three counts against Starbucks: violation of the California Fair Chance Act and criminal history discrimination, failure to prevent discrimination, and wrongful termination. The Fair Chance Act restricts how and when California employers can use criminal history in employment decisions, and Garza's suit contends that Starbucks' sudden termination after years of knowing his record violated those protections.
Starbucks did not dispute that the termination occurred. "We are aware of the claims and believe they are without merit, and we are prepared to defend the case," a company spokesperson said.
Lu declined to elaborate on what, if anything, Garza's federal probation officer may have approved regarding his employment. The federal probation office in Fresno declined to comment, citing confidentiality.
Judge Maria G. Diaz is assigned to the case and will hold a case management conference on June 23 in Fresno County Superior Court.
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