Federal agency sues Apple for allegedly firing Jewish employee over his faith

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Apple, Inc., alleging the company failed to accommodate an employee’s Jewish faith and later fired him because of his religion and in retaliation for his complaints.

According to the complaint, the employee worked for 16 years as a “genius” at Apple’s Reston, Virginia store and had consistently received positive performance reviews.

The EEOC said that after converting to Judaism in August 2023, he asked not to be scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays so he could observe the Sabbath. His store manager allegedly denied the request, citing scheduling policies.

According to the claim, Apple began disciplining the employee for grooming policy violations around the same time. In January 2024, shortly after he reminded his supervisor of an upcoming day off for religious reasons, Apple allegedly terminated him, citing another grooming policy infraction.

The EEOC alleges Apple’s actions violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations absent undue hardship, and bans retaliation against employees who oppose discrimination.

“Employees should not have to violate their religious beliefs to keep their jobs or live in fear of retribution because they requested an accommodation,” EEOC Philadelphia Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence said in a statement. “The EEOC is committed to protecting the religious rights of employees in the workplace.”