Apple fires leader of #AppleToo movement

Apple has fired Janneke Parrish for deleting files from her work phone in an ongoing investigation, including the Robinhood, Pokémon Go and Google Drive apps. Parrish is one of the minds at #AppleToo.

At Apple, Janneke Parrish was the program manager responsible for the Maps service of the Californian manufacturer. At the same time, alongside software developer Cher Scarlett, she is the leading figure behind the organized protests against harassment and discrimination. The movement is known as #AppleToo, an obvious twist on the widely acclaimed MeToo campaign.

Apple is officially looking for leaks in the workforce. Apple CEO Tim Cook is annoyed by new leaks that penetrate business issues such as features of new devices to the media. In September, Cook had sent a much-criticized message to all Apple employees, in which he made it clear that “people who pass on confidential information do not belong to Apple”. He declared war on such workers. Apple will be “everything in our power [tun]to identify those who leaked information, ”said Cook.

In the course of this struggle, observers cannot help but get the impression that Apple is taking the opportunity to clean up to the right and left of the path according to its own taste. It has long been clear that Apple does not particularly like it when employees organize.

Now Janneke Parrish could have got it because of her commitment to #AppleToo. Officially, however, the reason is said to be “non-compliance”, i.e. non-compliance with operationally important rules. Sources from the corporate environment have that opposite The Verge voiced.

The accusation seems at least profane. The resignation is said to have been given because Parrish deleted files from their work devices during an internal investigation. These files are said to have included apps like Robinhood, Pokémon Go and Google Drive. Why Parrish could have done this and why Apple responded in this way is unclear.

Neither Parrish nor Apple have commented on this yet. The law firm employed by Parrish has only confirmed that the employment relationship has ended. Internally, according to The Verge, Parrish’s dismissal is a reprisal for the unwanted organization of the protest movement.

Another co-organizer of the #AppleToo movement, Cher Scarlett, is currently on sick leave after allegedly being bullied internally for advocating remote work and wage transparency.

In September, Apple had fired the manager Ashley Gjøvik after she also got involved in the sexism debate and began to collect hundreds of individual pieces of evidence for the allegations. However, she was dismissed for allegedly disclosing confidential information. Since then, the ex-manager has been suing her former employer.