Trump's week in review: Lake Ontario renamed; IndyCar race on the National Mall

2. EEOC settles religious discrimination lawsuit with Apple

In a statement published Thursday, the EEOC announced that Apple had agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the agency over its alleged refusal to accommodate a Jewish employee’s request to not work between sundown on Fridays and sundown on Saturdays so he could observe the Jewish Sabbath. The employee was based in Reston, Virginia. 

Apple reportedly denied his request for a religious accommodation to a new weekend work policy and fired him in January 2024. The EEOC characterized Apple’s actions as violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs and prohibits religious discrimination. 

“Accommodating an employee’s religious beliefs is not optional — it is an obligation mandated by federal law in the absence of an undue hardship,” said EEOC Philadelphia Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence. “We appreciate Apple’s willingness to work cooperatively with the EEOC to resolve this matter and take affirmative steps to ensure compliance with federal law.”

Under the $150,000 settlement, the former employee will receive $80,000 in back pay and $70,000 in compensatory damages. Apple has also vowed to implement “an updated religious observance policy, which requires decision-makers to provide employees with a written explanation for a denial of a religious accommodation,” and to offer “training to relevant store management and human resources personnel on Title VII’s requirement to provide religious accommodation and prohibition on retaliation.”