Black men arrested at Starbucks settle with Philadelphia for $1 each and $200K donation
A Starbucks sign in Philadelphia./Shutterstock.com.
Two black men arrested last month at a Starbucks in Philadelphia while waiting for a business associate have agreed to release the city from any legal claims in exchange for the payment of $1 each and a promise to donate $200,000 to a program for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The agreement between the city, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson was announced Wednesday, report the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Associated Press. Their arrest records will also be expunged.
Nelson and Robinson, both 23, were arrested April 12 at the Starbucks after a manager complained that they had not ordered anything.
City spokesman Mike Dunn said the men wanted the city to create the entrepreneurship program for Philadelphia public high school students. They agreed to the deal without filing a lawsuit.
Nelson and Robinson told the AP they wanted to see something positive come out of their arrest. Nelson said he considers the incident a case of being at “the wrong place at the right time because of the outcome that can come out of it.”