Major Tech Company Accused of Discriminating Against Jewish Employee

The wave of religious discrimination lawsuits continues in the United States, and the latest company to feel the effects is one of the biggest names in the tech industry. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has accused Apple, Inc. of discriminating and retaliating against a Jewish worker, and this could prove to be a major blow to the smartphone developer’s reputation. What is this lawsuit all about, and what does it teach us about employment laws in the United States?

EEOC: Tech Company Falsely Terminated Jewish Employee for “Grooming” Violations

On September 30th, 2025, the EEOC announced that it was suing Apple, Inc. for allegedly discriminating against and firing a Jewish employee because of his faith. The employee in question had 16 years of experience working at one of the company’s brick-and-mortar stores in Virginia. During this time, the employee reportedly received overwhelmingly positive performance reviews from his managers. 

The EEOC claims that the issues began when the employee decided to convert to Judaism in 2023. Due to his new faith, the employee requested time off on Fridays and Saturdays to observe the Sabbath. Under these kinds of circumstances (assuming the religious conversion is legitimate), the employer is required to give their employees religious accommodations.

The now-Jewish employee was met with stiff opposition after making this request. His manager pushed back, claiming that the company’s scheduling policies made it impossible for him to take Fridays and Saturdays off. The employee was therefore forced to choose between paying his bills and violating his own religious beliefs. Reluctantly, he chose the latter and worked during the Sabbath. 

But the employer was not satisfied with crushing this man’s right to exercise his faith. Instead, they went one step further, repeatedly disciplining him for violating the store’s grooming policies. The worker then had the “audacity” to request another day off for an upcoming Jewish holiday, and he was terminated shortly thereafter. The reason: another grooming violation. The EEOC alleges that this violation was completely fabricated, and the tech company was simply searching for a way to fire this Jew. 

Employee Forced to Choose Between Religion and Keeping His Job

In a statement, the EEOC noted that this individual was forced to choose between keeping his job and violating his religious beliefs, something that no American worker should ever be subjected to. Specifically, the EEOC notes that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employers are legally obliged to provide religious accommodations when necessary. 

Jewish Worker Allegedly Disciplined for Body Odor

The New York Post provides additional details of this debacle. According to their report, these “grooming violations” involved the employee facing embarrassing accusations of body odor from his manager. If the man’s termination stems from these body odor issues, it makes his religious discrimination claims all the more credible. This seems like a classic example of a manager searching for the most obscure reason to fire someone they simply didn’t like. 

The Goal of the Universal Life Church’s Blog

Each month, various lawsuits test the nature of religious rights in this country. While the basis for many religious rights is the United States Constitution, there are still countless cases that question the exact nature of these rights. The Universal Life Church’s blog is focused on documenting the most noteworthy of these cases in an objective manner that can be easily understood by readers.