Apple has agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a federal religious discrimination lawsuit accusing the company of refusing to accommodate a Jewish employee’s Shabbos observance and later terminating his employment after he raised concerns about antisemitic treatment.
The case was brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in September 2025 on behalf of Tyler Steele, who had worked for years at Apple’s retail store in Reston, Virginia. The lawsuit alleged that the technology giant violated federal law by denying Steele’s request for a religious accommodation and retaliating against him after he complained.
According to the complaint, Steele converted to Judaism in the spring of 2023. At first, his supervisor approved his request not to be scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays so he could properly observe Shabbos. However, after a new manager took over, that accommodation was revoked.
The lawsuit states that in September 2023, Steele asked again to have Fridays and Saturdays off, but his new manager, Anthony Dosch, refused the request. The complaint further alleges that Dosch told Steele he “could become a rules Nazi with regards to our policies.”
The EEOC also alleged that, shortly after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Dosch cautioned Steele against discussing politics or the war while at work. About a month later, Steele was issued a misconduct warning alleging that body odor had violated company policy.
Federal officials said Steele reported what he believed was antisemitic conduct, along with the denial of his religious accommodation, to Apple management in November 2023. According to the lawsuit, he was dismissed from his position in January 2024 after reminding Dosch that he would be unable to work on an upcoming Friday because of his religious obligations.
“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 at the time the lawsuit was filed.
The EEOC’s lawsuit charged Apple with religious discrimination and unlawful retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On August 7, Apple and the EEOC jointly notified a federal court in Virginia that they had reached a settlement, nearly one year after the lawsuit was filed. The agreement still requires judicial approval before becoming final.
As part of the settlement, Apple denied any wrongdoing and did not admit liability. Nevertheless, the company agreed to pay Steele $80,000 in back wages along with $70,000 in compensatory damages and interest, for a total of $150,000.
The agreement also requires Apple to revise its policies regarding religious accommodations and provide training to certain employees in its Virginia operations within 90 days.
