Earlier this week, Apple Store employees in Melbourne, Australia, asked a group of black students to leave the store because they anxious they might “steal something”.
Advertisement
In his organization-wide email titled “Apple Is Open”, obtained and published by BuzzFeed News, Mr. Cook stressed that the incident was an isolated event and does not represent the core values of the company.
According to ABC News, the incident occurred on November 10 at an Apple store in the High Point Shopping Centre in Melbourne, Australia. After the black teenagers were asked to leave the Apple Store, an employee told them outside the store: “They are just anxious you might steal something”. We believe in equality for everyone, regardless of race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.
It clearly shows an Apple staff member telling the Maribyrnong College students that the store’s security staff were concerned they were going to shoplift.
Cook went on say that Apple will refresh and reinforce employee training around inclusion and customer engagement. He also stated that it is Apple’s policy to embrace cultural differences, as it helps deliver better products. Cook said that Kate’s heartfelt apology on behalf of Apple and the Apple Store echoes a message which he himself has long reiterated — “Apple is open”. It’s the reason we make our stores attractive and inviting, and extend their reach to benefit the communities around them. He mentioned that the altercation will provide Apple the opportunity to initiate a retraining program for its managers at stores all over the world, which would help them become more welcoming of consumers from diverse backgrounds.
Apple boss Tim Cook has asked staff at all Apple stores worldwide to be retrained in “inclusion and customer engagement”.
Advertisement
The United States technology giant has a message from chief executive Tim Cook about diversity on his website, where he writes: “We want every person who joins our team, every customer visiting our stores or calling for support to feel welcome”. They sued Apple and the store’s private security company, but Apple successfully argued that neither employer condoned the alleged actions of the employee, and the case was dismissed.
