Starbucks Sued by Former Executive Alleging Retaliation Over Siren Safety Warnings

The company characterizes the claims as meritless, saying she was separated following a workplace‑conduct investigation.

Overview

Janice Waszak, a nearly 20‑year employee who led testing at Seattle’s Tryer Innovation Center, filed the lawsuit on Jan. 26.
Her complaint describes an October 2022 demonstration where maggots allegedly fell from a Siren milk dispenser and argues the design was difficult to clean.
The filing also cites a September 2023 Siren dispenser fire that Starbucks determined was caused by a manufacturing wiring defect.
Waszak says she resisted pressure to make test results sound more positive, filed an ethics report on Dec. 7, 2023, and was fired Dec. 11, allegedly at the direction of Natarajan Venkatakrishnan.
She alleges wrongful termination and sex discrimination, while Starbucks denies the claims and says it will present evidence in court.