LOS ANGELES — Starbucks confirmed that the employee who drew a pig on a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy’s coffee cup has been terminated, though the company emphasized that it was not intended as an offensive gesture.
“This was unacceptable. We have reached out to the customer several times and to leaders in the Sheriff’s Department to apologize,” stated Jaci Anderson, Starbucks’ director of global communications. “Every customer should always be made to feel welcome in our stores.”
The incident occurred at a Starbucks located at Firestone Boulevard and Pioneer Boulevard in Norwalk, California. The barista, who was reportedly doodling on cups to lift her coworkers’ spirits, inadvertently handed the cup adorned with the “John Pork” meme—a playful cartoon pig often used in online satire—to Deputy Brandon Longoria during his break. Anderson explained that a “series of unfortunate events” led to this mix-up.
The term “pigs” has been historically used as derogatory slang for police officers, making the drawing especially problematic; Longoria described the episode as “discouraging and disrespectful” in a personal social media post. He was on a lengthy 16-hour shift and his routine coffee run turned into a disheartening experience.
The sheriff’s department and the deputy union both condemned the drawing, with Richard Pippin, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, expressing disappointment and hoping the incident was isolated and did not reflect the values Starbucks represents.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna voiced concerns regarding the incident and sought accountability from Starbucks’ corporate security team. He made it clear that disrespect toward sheriff’s personnel is unacceptable.
With approximately 17,000 Starbucks locations nationwide—only about 550 of which are unionized—this incident marks another chapter in the company’s history of controversies related to law enforcement. Previous incidents include a 2019 case in Oklahoma, where a barista wrote “PIG” on a police officer’s coffee label, leading to national backlash and the employee’s termination, as well as an incident in Tempe, Arizona, where officers were asked to leave the store due to a customer’s complaint.
Starbucks has expressed its commitment to fostering a welcoming environment for all customers, and through direct outreach and accountability measures, the company aims to restore faith within the communities it serves.