Men arrested at Philadelphia Starbucks settle with city for $2 and a youth entrepreneurship program

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 2 May 2018

The two black men who were arrested last month for sitting inside a Philadelphia Starbucks without ordering have reached settlements with both the city and the coffee company, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Starbucks reportedly settled for an undisclosed sum, and offered to pay for the men's college educations. The city will give the men, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, $1 each in a symbolic move chosen by the men. Instead of a larger sum for themselves, Robinson and Nelson arranged for the city of Philadelphia to set up a $200,000 program to support young entrepreneurs.

The arrest of the two men sparked protests and national outrage. Critics said that Robinson and Nelson were racially profiled and wrongfully arrested. The men sat at the local Starbucks without buying anything because they were waiting for a third man to arrive, AP reports, and store management called the police within two minutes of their arrival. They spent hours in jail before being released with no charges filed against them. The arrests will reportedly be expunged from their records as part of the agreement with the city.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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