Because of Shabbat: Apple to pay $150,000 to employee who claimed discrimination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged that an Apple store manager in Virginia made antisemitic remarks and refused to accommodate an employee's Shabbat observance. Apple denied the allegations but agreed to a settlement.
Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) following allegations of religious discrimination against a long-time employee at one of its stores in Virginia. According to the lawsuit, the store manager made antisemitic remarks toward the employee, refused his requests not to work on Shabbat, and eventually fired him.
The settlement was revealed in a joint document filed by Apple and the EEOC on Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, nearly a year after the commission filed the lawsuit. Apple denied any wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.
At the center of the case is Tyler Steele, who began working at the Apple store in Reston, Virginia, in 2007 as an "Apple Genius." According to the lawsuit, Steele converted to Judaism in 2023, the same year a new manager took over the store.
The EEOC stated that after his conversion, Steele requested not to work on Fridays and Saturdays to observe Shabbat. However, the new manager rejected these requests. According to the commission, the manager also made derogatory comments about Steele's hygiene, forced him to work on Shabbat, and warned him not to discuss the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel with coworkers.
The conflict reached a peak in January 2024, when Steele was fired just days after refusing the manager's request to work on a Friday.
The EEOC argued that Apple's conduct violated Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964. The commission sought back wages and punitive damages for what it defined as "malicious and reckless conduct."
This case is part of a broader effort by the EEOC regarding religious discrimination. Under Chair Andrea Lucas, appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the commission has placed a renewed emphasis on the issue. Since last year, the commission has reached settlements totaling over $25 million in cases involving employer-mandated COVID-19 vaccinations.
Apple and the EEOC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. For Apple, the payment resolves the lawsuit without the company admitting to the acts attributed to it.
