14 DAY TRIAL // A former Apple staffer has sued the Cupertino, Calif. company after being denied a promotion which he had reportedly sought on several occasions. According to suit filings, Michael Katz, a man in his 60s, was denied climbing the ladder because of his age. He believes he was subjected to discrimination based on his age, therefore has accused Apple of violating the state's Civil Rights Act.
The Florida man has sued Apple saying that he was denied promotions when he worked at the company's Orlando retail store because of his age, AppleInsider reports.
[admark=1]According to the complaint, "Katz was passed over for promotion multiple times in favor of individuals with less seniority with Apple and inferior qualifications.”
"Katz was not provided with any explanation for his repeated denail of promotion opportunities. Rather, his supervisor simply denied that Katz had ever expressed a desire to obtain a Creative position," the suit filings say.
According to the report, Katz was "constructively terminated" from the store he worked at in September 2007.
Soon after, he filed charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Florida Commission on Human Relations.
Some two years later, the EEOC reportedly found "reasonable cause" that Katz was denied promotions by Apple because of his age.
"The EEOC attempted to conciliate the matter, but those efforts failed," according to the complaint, which adds that the FCHR did not issue a determination on his case, AppleInsider reports.
The documents reportedly state that "Katz's FCRA claims are therefore ripe for litigation, and he is permitted, pursuant to Florida Statute 760.07 to file a civil action in this Court seeking a remedy for the unlawful employment practices described herein."
Filed in the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Orange County, Florida, the suit is seeking back pay and damages from Apple. Specifically, Mr. Katz is seeking damages in excess of $15,000 from his former employer.