Starbucks, Philadelphia reach settlement with Black men over arrest

Washington D.C. [USA], May 3 (ANI): The two Black men who were arrested at a Starbucks last month in the United States, have reached a settlement with Philadelphia.

In return for not filing a lawsuit against Philadelphia or its employees, the two men Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson asked the city spend USD 200,000 to help young entrepreneurs, to which the latter agreed, The New York Times reported.

As per the agreement, the men will each be given USD 1.

"I am pleased to have resolved the potential claims against the City in this productive manner," Mayor Jim Kenney of Philadelphia said in a statement.

"This was an incident that evoked a lot of pain in our City, pain that would've resurfaced over and over again in protracted litigation," he added.

In an official statement, Starbucks also said it had reached an agreement with the two men.

"I want to thank Donte and Rashon for their willingness to reconcile. I welcome the opportunity to begin a relationship with them to share learnings and experiences. And Starbucks will continue to take actions that stem from this incident to repair and reaffirm our values and vision for the kind of company we want to be," CEO of Starbucks Kevin Johnson said in the statement.

The coffeehouse chain said that details of the agreement would be provided in a "mutually agreed public statement."

Starbucks and Philadelphia Police were widely criticised for 'racial profiling', after a video showing officers taking the men away in handcuffs at the Philadelphia store went viral on social media.

The employees at the store had reportedly called the police after the men wanted to use the bathroom without buying anything.

The incident took place on April 12, which was followed by a public apology by the Starbucks CEO. (ANI)