The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit today claiming that Apple fired a Virginia Apple Store employee over complaints of religious discrimination. Here are the details.
In a press release, the EEOC says that a 16-year employee who “consistently received positive performance reviews” was fired after he converted to Judaism, and requested scheduling accommodations “for observing his Sabbath by not working Fridays and Saturdays.”
From the press release:
“His new store manager rejected the request, claiming Apple’s scheduling policy now prohibited him from having both Friday and Saturday off. Fearing he would lose his job if he did not comply, he worked on the Sabbath, against his religious beliefs.
The EEOC also charged that around this same time, and after requesting his religious reasonable accommodation, Apple began disciplining him for allegedly violating its grooming policies, and shortly after he reminded his supervisor of an upcoming day off for religious reasons, Apple terminated him in January 2024, falsely claiming another violation of its grooming policy.”
According to the EEOC, these events violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits companies from retaliating against employees who oppose discrimination and requires companies to reasonably accommodate employees’ religious beliefs and practices, unless doing so would cause “undue hardship” to the business.
The lawsuit, EEOC v. Apple, Inc., Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-1637, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, “after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.”
What’s your take on the lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
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