BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Starbucks is fighting back after a man with Tourette syndrome sued the coffee chain for discrimination.

In the lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit court, Robert Friedman said Starbucks violated his rights after employees had him escorted from the shop by sheriff's deputies after a Tourette's episode.

During the episode, he reportedly banged on walls and uttered obscenities, all in front of a shop full of customers. Friedman claims he apologized for the outburst, but has no control over the symptoms of his disorder.

In a statement, the Seattle-based chain said, "We disagree with Mr. Friedman's view of what happened in the store and believe our partners acted appropriately by asking a disruptive customer to leave."

The statement also said that Starbucks hoped to settle the matter without a courtroom fight.

“While we would have preferred to handle this directly with Mr. Friedman and his attorney, we are confident in our case," the Starbucks statement said. “We are committed to treating all of our customers with dignity and respect."

The Florida Commission on Human Relations, which investigates claims of discrimination, has looked at the case and says there is evidence that the Starbucks store in Boca Raton did not take steps to make accommodations for Friedman's disability.

Federal law treats Tourette syndrome like any other disability. State law prohibits the removal of anyone because of a physical disability, although it does allow businesses to remove unruly customers who breach the peace.

Tourette syndrome, also called Tourette's, is a severe neurological disorder characterized by multiple facial and other body tics. It usually begins in childhood or adolescence and often accompanied by shoulder-shrugging, neck-jerking, facial twitches, coughing, grunting, throat clearing, sniffing, snorting and barking.