Apple agrees to pay $150,000 to settle discrimination lawsuit over employee's Shabbat observance

Apple has agreed to a $150,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which alleged religious discrimination against a Jewish employee. The lawsuit, filed in September 2025, claimed Apple failed to accommodate Tyler Steele's Shabbat observance at a Reston, Virginia store and subsequently fired him after he complained of discrimination. Steele, who converted to Judaism in spring 2023, initially received approval for Friday and Saturday off, but a new manager, Anthony Dosch, rescinded this accommodation in September 2023, allegedly telling Steele he “could become a rules Nazi with regards to our policies.” Steele was fired in January 2024 after reminding Dosch of his religious inability to work on a Friday. The settlement, awaiting court approval, includes $80,000 in back pay and $70,000 in compensatory damages for Steele, and requires Apple to update its religious accommodation policies and conduct employee training in Virginia.