Some Apple employees are circulating a petition demanding an investigation into a ‘misogynistic’ new hire [UPDATED]

When Apple makes hiring (or firing) moves, it can make the news cycle, which the company is accustomed to. But with this one, it’s probably not the greatest circumstances.

UPDATE (May 12, 2021): Apple has confirmed that Antonio García Martínez is no longer with the company after an employee petition called for an investigation into his hiring.

The original article continues below.

As first reported today by The Verge, a group of Apple employees have begun circulating a petition within the company’s ranks calling for the investigation of a recent new hire. Antonio García Martínez joined Apple recently, formerly a product manager at Facebook. García Martínez is also the author of a controversial book called Chaos Monkeys, which is primarily where the issues arise.

According to the petition, the employees are raising concerns over García Martínez’s very public views on people of color and women. The petition says that his hiring “calls into question parts of our system of inclusion at Apple, including hiring panels, background checks, and our process to ensure our existing culture of inclusion is strong enough to withstand individuals who don’t share our inclusive values.”

One except from the aforementioned book written by García Martínez has been making the rounds on Twitter recently. Shared by Devon (@Devonbl), the excerpt says that women in San Francisco are “soft and weak, cosseted and naive despite their claims of worldliness, and generally full of shit.”

From the original report:

García Martínez, who has also written for Wired, was the project manager for Facebook’s ad targeting team from 2011 to 2013. Most of the things the Apple employees have expressed concern about come from Chaos Monkeys itself. (The book is dedicated to “all my enemies.”) The autobiography traces García Martínez going from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. García Martínez has described the book as “total Hunter S. Thompson/Gonzo mode.” The employees, in the petition, view it differently: they say it’s racist and sexist.

Apple’s most recent diversity report, women make up 40 percent of the workforce. As it stands, Apple hasn’t made a public statement on the matter, but, as this picks up steam, it’s probably just a matter of time before some kind of decision is reached on this particular matter.

You can check out the full petition over at The Verge.