A prominent specialty coffee roaster is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit. Ashlynne Wike filed a complaint on August 25 in Alameda County Superior Court against Hydrangea Coffee Roasters and its founder, Bill Li, also known as Chengxi Li. The suit alleges Li subjected Wike to months of unwanted touching, invasive questions, and disturbing behavior.
Wike, who placed second in the 2026 US Brewers Cup Championship, was hired by Li in April 2025 as Coffee Roaster and Procurement Lead with an annual salary of $70,000. According to the lawsuit, the company arranged for Wike to stay at Li’s Berkeley apartment after she relocated from North Carolina for the job. While residing there in June 2025, Wike alleges Li touched her thighs and tickled her stomach on two occasions while instructing her on computer tasks. Later that month, the suit claims Li attempted to put his hands inside her pants and subsequently placed his hands under her shirt.
In July 2025, the complaint states Li questioned Wike about her virginity, the number of men she had dated, her willingness to date a shorter man, and her sexual orientation. The lawsuit also accuses Li of taking photos of Wike without her consent, entering her apartment without permission, and preventing her from leaving a holiday party, portraying him as a predatory figure using his position of power.
The suit further alleges that Hydrangea Coffee Roasters failed to implement state-mandated sexual harassment training and did not take reasonable steps to prevent the alleged harassment, despite being put on notice. Wike claims she continues to suffer severe emotional and mental distress, humiliation, embarrassment, anger, shock, pain, discomfort, and anxiety.
The legal battle has generated significant discussion in online coffee enthusiast communities, such as Reddit's r/pourover and r/espresso. Some users have expressed disillusionment and stated they will no longer purchase products from the roaster. However, others have urged a cautious approach, emphasizing the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" in the justice system while acknowledging individuals' freedom to form their own judgments based on the allegations.
Hydrangea Coffee Roasters' attorney acknowledged awareness of the lawsuit and stated that employees, customers, and business partners might have questions.