Overview

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed EEOC v. Apple, Inc. (No. 1:25-cv-1637) in the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging religious discrimination and retaliation under Title VII.
• The suit says Tyler Steele, a 16-year Apple Store “genius” in Reston, converted to Judaism in 2023 and asked not to work on Fridays and Saturdays to observe the Sabbath.
• According to the complaint, a new store manager denied the request citing scheduling rules, made antisemitic comments including remarks about body odor, and told Steele not to discuss the October 2023 Hamas attack with coworkers.
• The EEOC alleges Apple began citing grooming-policy violations after the accommodation request and fired Steele in January 2024 shortly after he refused a Friday shift.
• The agency seeks back pay and punitive damages and says it sued after unsuccessful conciliation efforts, while Apple has not responded publicly to the allegations.