Apple Faces Lawsuit by Female Employee Who Alleged Bias From Indian and Pakistani Managers Over Her Hindu Ancestry in Sindh Region

California, March 25: A court in US state of California has rejected an appeal by Apple Inc. against a discrimination lawsuit filed by a female engineer from India. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Sunil R. Kulkarni rejected Apple’s request to dismiss the suit filed by Anita Nariani Schulze, who alleged discriminatory treatment at the hands of her two managers – one from India, the other from Pakistan. US Judge Certifies Lawsuit Against Apple for Its Butterfly Keyboard Design: Report.

In her lawsuit, Anita Nariani Schulze said she was forced to resign her job as a technical engineer at Apple in 2019 because her managers would treat her as they would in their own countries: as a subservient, Bloomberg reported. She also said her managers wouldn’t invite her at office meetings, micromanaged her work, and deprived her of bonuses, despite her significance contribution to her team’s work. iOS Developer Files Lawsuit Against Apple for Exploiting Its Monopoly Power Over iOS Apps: Report.

The former Apple employee said her Hindu ancestry in Pakistan’s Sindh region, which according to her is “known for its technical acumen” and encouragement of “women to rise above their historically subservient gender roles”, was one of the reasons behind misconduct with her by the two managers. During the hearing, Apple had argued her claims were based on stereotypes.

However, judge Kulkarni, in a tentatively ruling, declined to dismiss the lawsuit, saying that Schulze had adequately supported her legal claims. He also rejected Schulze’s request to include her in a group of female Apple employees who suffered job discrimination over the last four years.

In another case, a Dalit employee of Cisco Systems Inc. alleged discrimination on the basis of caste by two co-workers. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has filed a lawsuit in this case. Dismissing allegations, Cisco has also requested to toss out the suit.

(The above story first appeared on Morning Tidings on Mar 25, 2021 11:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website morningtidings.com).