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Apple attorney lawsuit overview:
- Who: A former patent attorney at Apple sued the company.
- Why: The plaintiff says Apple wrongfully dismissed her after she reported abuse from a colleague.
- Where: The Apple attorney lawsuit was filed in a California state court.
An attorney and former director of patent litigation at Apple has filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired after speaking up about a colleague she was personally involved with whom she says subjected her to “extreme domestic abuse,” including death threats.
Plaintiff Jayna Whitt filed the discrimination and unlawful dismissal lawsuit against Apple Inc. on Dec. 20 in a California state court.
Whitt says she started working at Apple in 2006. In 2018 she became a full-time single parent of two children, was embroiled in “burdensome divorce litigation” and took three months of medical leave, according to the Apple lawsuit.
When she returned, Whitt says, she was treated disparately, with leave requests and advancement opportunities denied, as well as a lack of flexibility toward attending meetings virtually.
After this, Apple announced it had reorganized the legal department, allegedly excluding female and minority employees from promotions, according to the Apple attorney lawsuit. Whitt is an Asian woman.
“Prior to this announcement, Defendant held meetings with Caucasian male employees within the Department while excluding female and minority employees,” the Apple lawsuit claims.
In 2019, Whitt says she asked the company if she could work part-time and was subsequently and unfairly demoted.
Apple attorney lawsuit alleges domestic abuse report mishandled
Whitt says she told a manager in 2021 that she experienced domestic abuse by a Caucasian colleague she was personally involved with. She showed Apple evidence of her alleged abuser putting a Glock to his head, as well as death threats to her, but says she was left “defenseless.”
Whitt says Apple launched an investigation but ultimately put her in an unsafe situation with her abuser that was “dragged out.” Ultimately Apple determined the situation was not its concern, according to the lawsuit.
In 2021, Apple closed the investigation and “retaliated against” her by issuing her a written disciplinary citation accusing her of interfering with its investigation, the Apple lawsuit states.
In April 2022, Whitt wrote a story about her experience at Apple for whistleblower platform Lioness. After this, she alleges, Apple investigated her, and, by July, terminated her employment for violations of company policies.
“It was evident that Defendant’s true reason for terminating Plaintiff’s employment is due to its discriminatory and retaliatory animus against her based upon her protected classes, as well as her public complaints of wrongful discrimination and retaliation,” the lawsuit states.
Whitt sued for discrimination, harassment and retaliation and seeks unspecified compensation for financial losses and emotional distress.
In other Apple employee news, a California judge in August 2022 approved a settlement of more than $30 million to end claims Apple Inc. illegally forced employees to submit to off-the-clock security bag checks when they left the workplace after or during their shifts.
What do you think of the allegations in this case? Let us know in the comments!
Jayna Whitt is represented by Carney R. Shegerian, Anthony Nguyen and Daniel B. Henderson of Shegerian & Associates Inc.
The Apple attorney lawsuit is Jayna Richardson Whitt v. Apple Inc., et al., Case No. 22CIV05369, in California Superior Court, San Mateo County.
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