A Washington, D.C., Starbucks near the National Mall is being sued by a Norfolk, Virginia man after his 5-year-old daughter allegedly found a video camera pointed at the toilet in the bathroom of the coffeehouse. 

William Yockey is asking for $1 million in a civil suit on four counts, including breach of privacy, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hiring, training and supervision.  Yockey claims that after his daughter used the bathroom she discovered a digital video camera hidden in the U-shaped drain pipe under the sink, pointed at the toilet. Yockey contacted the manager, who called the police.

Yockey described the incident as a "humiliating and disgusting matter" and claimed that if Starbucks conducted timely inspections of the bathroom the camera would have been noticed.

According to news sources, this is the third incident of a hidden camera in a Starbucks; the other incidents reportedly occurred in California and Florida. 

Starbucks spokesman Alan Hilowitz said: "We take our obligation to provide a safe environment for our customers  and our employees very, very seriously."

—Source:  Reuters