Woman Sues Starbucks Over Prosthetic Leg Fiasco

Lawsuit brewing

​A Central Valley woman is suing Starbucks and not because the coffee was too hot. Rather, Janet Marx is claiming the Stockton coffee house barred her from using the restroom so she could repair her prosthetic leg unless she first bought something.

According to the claim, which was filed in San Joaquin County last week, Marx says she went into a Starbucks on El Dorado Avenue to use the restroom so she could tighten a screw on her prosthetic leg. On her way into the bathroom, a barista chased her down, explaining that she could not use the restroom unless she purchased something first -- not even to quickly screw her leg back on.

A stunned Marx sat there, holding up her leg to prevent it from dropping on the floor.

What's more, the barista allegedly told Marx that she "couldn't be nice" to anyone who wasn't blowing their money on Starbucks, according to the claim. Marx looked at the second barista, she says knew she was disabled. He told her there was nothing he could do to help her, the suit states.

"Mortified and shamed, plaintiff ordered two beverages, and the clerk permitted plaintiff to use the bathroom," the claim states. Meanwhile, Marx said she saw other patrons use the restroom without having bought anything yet.

Marx is seeking statutory damages for disability discrimination, costs, and attorneys fees.

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