"Am I a Pig?" Outraged Customer at Starbucks... Employee Fired as Controversy Grows

Starbucks Says "It Was an Online Meme, but Still Inappropriate"
Past Racism Controversy Over Cups Resurfaces

After a Los Angeles (LA) County sheriff received a coffee cup with a pig illustration at a Starbucks store in the United States and raised concerns over "contempt for law enforcement," Starbucks issued an official apology and terminated the employee involved. On January 12 (local time), local media outlets such as Fox 11 reported, citing a recent statement from the LA County Sheriff's Department, that a Starbucks in the area had intentionally served a cup with a hand-drawn pig illustration to a sheriff, constituting an act of insult.

Starbucks coffee cup with a pig illustration. LA County Sheriff's social media

The incident occurred on January 9 at a Starbucks in the Norwalk area of LA County. The sheriff, who was on duty at the time, discovered a hand-drawn pig illustration on the cup he received with his coffee order. Through his social media account, the sheriff protested, stating, "The pig is a symbol commonly used to disparage law enforcement agencies," and described the act as "extremely insulting and unacceptable." He added, "I simply stopped by for coffee after a 16-hour shift, only to be treated this way," arguing that it was a disrespectful act toward public authorities serving the community.

As the controversy grew, the LA County Sheriff's Department issued an official statement, declaring, "The act was intentional and highly inappropriate," and demanded responsible action from Starbucks headquarters. Robert Luna, the Sheriff of LA County, was also reported to have personally contacted Starbucks headquarters to express his concerns. In response, Starbucks stated, "We sincerely apologized to both the customer and the Sheriff's Department," explaining that "the illustration in question was a meme trending online and was not intended to target the police, but it was still inappropriate to pass it on to a customer." Starbucks announced that it had conducted an internal investigation and dismissed the employee involved.

The pig illustration at the center of the controversy was reportedly a meme that trended on social media platforms like TikTok around 2024, with no intention to disparage any particular group. However, Starbucks emphasized, "We have deep respect for law enforcement agencies and the police who safeguard community safety," and promised to prevent a recurrence. Online, reactions to the incident have been divided. Some have supported the actions of Starbucks and the Sheriff's Department, stating that "insulting public authority warrants legitimate disciplinary action." Others, however, argue that the response was "an overreaction and an excessive interpretation."

This controversy has also brought renewed attention to Starbucks' past "cup racism controversy." Back in 2021, the company faced allegations of discriminatory treatment toward Black customers in its stores, as well as criticism that phrases written on cups or customer service practices were racially biased. In response, Starbucks closed more than 8,000 stores nationwide and provided anti-racism training to approximately 175,000 employees.