A Muslim man told a Starbucks barista his name was 'Aziz.' The employee wrote 'ISIS' on his cup
NEPTUNE, N.J. - Was it a mistake or discrimination? Depends on whom you ask.
Niquel Johnson says he visited a Starbucks in Philadelphia late last month while wearing traditional Middle Eastern dress, and placed an order for three drinks, according to NBC News.
He says he gave the barista the name "Aziz," a shortened version of his Muslim name.
The 40-year-old later discovered that the barista had written "ISIS" on his cups.
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"I was shocked at first, and then angry because I felt as though we were discriminated against," Johnson said of the name, which is the acronym for the Islamic State terrorist organization.
A Starbucks spokesman told NBC that it had investigated.
"The customer approached and provided the name 'Aziz,'" the spokesman said. "The barista mistakenly spelled it incorrectly." He called the incident a "regrettable mistake."
Starbucks closed more than 8,000 stores one afternoon last year to train about 175,000 employees in unconscious bias after two black men were arrested for sitting at a Philadelphia location without ordering anything.
The Washington Post reports Johnson is considering legal action.
Follow Ilana Keller on Twitter: @ilanakeller
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Barista writes 'ISIS' on Muslim man's Starbucks cup
