A Starbucks customer says he was banned from the coffee shop, after asking out the barista. What the 37-year-old didn't know, was that the female barista was only 16-years-old.
The man, who has not been identified because he has not committed a crime, says he thought the feelings were mutual and handed her a note asking her to dinner. When he came back the next day, he was asked to leave - and told that he had been banned from that Starbucks location.
In Washington State, the age of consent for sex is 16-years-old. At this age, a person can consent to sex with any adult, regardless of the age difference between them. With this in mind, the customer says the coffee chain's actions are based solely on ageism.
After he was banned, he took to Facebook to see what the world thought about his being banned from Starbucks. To his surprise, Facebook users were not on his side. Many have praised Starbucks for banning him.
ABC affiliateKREM news reports, a Starbucks spokesperson said the company supports how management handled the situation.
"We have no tolerance for any such inappropriate behavior or harassment," the spokesperson said. "And we will continue to support our store partners and local authorities investigating the situation."
KREM also reports, "Spokane Police said any business has a right to refuse service to anyone for however long they choose. So Starbucks was legally allowed to ban the man from that location. "
