Michael Artinian was quoted in a Daily Journal article published August 30, 2016 about a fired in-house attorney for Apple Inc. who is suing the technology company for gender discrimination and wrongful termination as “Jane Doe”.
According to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the plaintiff alleges her supervisor harassed and reprimanded her for speaking out against what she saw as gender discrimination and unfair workplace practices during her time as global product safety counsel.
Artinian commenting on the fact that the plaintiff chose to remain unnamed in the lawsuit said, “It is uncommon for a plaintiff to sue as a Doe; however it is usually used to protect victims of sexual harassment, children, and in cases where a party is injured or ill.”
“If there is a legitimate privacy concern and the plaintiff can convince the court of that legitimate privacy concern, then the court will likely allow the plaintiff to proceed as a Jane Doe,” continued Artinian.
“The defendant has reason to show there is not a legitimate privacy interest and why the defendant is prejudiced. The chances going forward are pretty good,” he added.
Whether the plaintiff’s identity will remain undisclosed is yet to be determined. The article notes that Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson or Apple’s defense attorney can ask for it to be disclosed.
Published in the Daily Journal