Apple Inc. (AAPL) Ex-Manager Goes To Court Over Comment About His Butt

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) faces a lawsuit for unfair dismissal by a former manager who says the problem traces back to a comment regarding his “butt” that was made by employees at the company. Will Reeves was dismissed when Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) moved his job out of Ireland. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) apparently offered him a position in the U.S., but he claims that he couldn’t take the job because U.S. employees at the company said he had “waddled his butt” in front of them.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Ex-Manager Goes To Court Over Comment About His Butt

Reeves takes the stand

The Irish newspaper the Irish Independent reports that Reeves gave his first evidence in support of his unfair dismissal claim on Thursday, which was the trial’s fourth day. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) said it invested €400,000 in creating Reeves’ new position at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

According to Reeves, he felt the comment about his alleged, so-called butt waddling was “a stain” on the start of a new life in the U.S.

“I’d been accused of something and felt I could not defend myself,” the former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) manager said.

Reeves visited California

He traveled to the U.S. in August 2010 to look at schools in the Cupertino area and see available houses there. He apparently reprimanded one of his team members, and that team member is said to be the one who later said he had “waddled his butt.”

After the accusation about the “butt” comment was made, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) conducted an internal review. A U.S.-based human resources manager told Reeves he didn’t have anything to worry about in terms of the complaint. By the end of the month, Reeves told Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s global planning director that the comment had “tainted” his move to the U.S.

Apple claims case was built on retrospect

Lawyers for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) claim that Reeves’ case had been built after thinking about what had happened. They also said that the main focus of the case was that his position in Ireland was moved out of the country.

Reeves said he believed Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) HR managers didn’t think he was innocent of the butt waddling allegation made by the employee. He said he had “no problem” moving to the U.S.—other than the allegation that was made against him. He thinks “certain people” didn’t want him to work at Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) any longer.

The court has not yet ruled on the case, but a decision will likely be reached within the next few weeks.

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