By Malathi Nayak | Bloomberg
A former top Apple Inc. patent attorney says she was unlawfully fired by the iPhone maker after complaining about being abused by a male colleague, including receiving death threats, with whom she was romantically involved.
Jayna Richardson Whitt sued Apple in California claiming the company retaliated against her after it became aware of her “domestic abuse victim status” by denying her opportunities for higher-level positions and thwarting her career growth. She’s seeking unspecified compensation for economic losses and emotional distress.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Whitt worked at Apple since 2006, during which time she says she rose to roles such as Director of IP transactions, but also faced discrimination. A White male supervisor “favored Caucasian males and subjected minorities, females, and employees with disabilities to discriminatory treatment,” she claims in the complaint filed Dec. 20 in state court in San Mateo, California.
The discrimination was evident in personnel decisions, mentoring, assignments and invitation to meetings, the patent attorney, who identified herself as single parent of Asian descent, said in her complaint.
Apple turned down Whitt’s request to help secure her digital accounts after they and her iPhone were breached by her abuser, according to the complaint.
The company shelled out more than $630,000 to protect Chief Executive Tim Cook in 2021 from a woman who stalked him, Whitt said in her complaint. But despite sharing a video of her White male colleague pointing a gun to his head and sharing evidence of “death threats and terrorization,” Apple left her “defenseless,” she said.
Apple left Whitt to secure her devices, accounts and Wi-Fi on her own, without any help from anyone the company’s global security department, she said.
After Whitt posted an essay in April describing retaliation and discrimination by Apple, the company launched an investigation into her conduct before terminating her employment in July “based upon pretextual accusations that she violated Apple policies,” she said in her complaint.
The case is Whitt v. Apple Inc, California Superior Court, San Mateo County.
–With assistance from Mark Gurman.
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