Apple Settles Religious Discrimination Suit for $150,000 Over Sabbath Work and October 7 Comments

Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging religious discrimination against a Jewish employee. The complaint, filed nearly a year ago and settled in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, accused an Apple store manager in Reston, Virginia, of making antisemitic remarks, forcing the employee to work on the Sabbath, and ultimately firing him after he refused to work on Fridays. The employee, Tyler Steele, who began working at the Reston Apple store in 2007 as an Apple Genius and converted to Judaism in 2023, was reportedly told by the new manager not to discuss the Hamas attack on October 7 with coworkers. Steele was terminated in January 2024 shortly after declining the manager's request to work on a Friday.

The EEOC charged Apple with religious discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, seeking compensation for lost wages and punitive damages due to the manager's alleged malicious conduct. Apple denied all wrongdoing in court filings. The EEOC, under Chair Andrea Lucas, a conservative Christian appointed by former President Donald Trump, has renewed focus on religious discrimination cases, securing over $25 million in settlements since last year, including cases related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

This settlement highlights ongoing legal scrutiny of workplace religious rights and employer obligations in the United States, particularly concerning Sabbath observance and religious expression in the workplace.