Former exec sues Apple

Former Apple executive Tim Bucher, who headed Macintosh Hardware Engineering until last fall, is now . CNET.com reports that the lawsuit, filed last month in Santa Clara County, alleges that Apple terminated him without cause and failed to pay all due compensation, including restricted stock grants and a bonus. The report says that Bucher, who was hired in March of 2003 as president of Macintosh system development, was promoted to Vice President of Macintosh Hardware engineering when Jon Rubenstein was appointed the head of the newly created iPod division. Although he was asked to leave in November 2004, he says that he didn't receive a letter of termination from Apple until January 2005.

In the lawsuit, Bucher says that he was told on November 10th to "go home," as changes were imminent. "Apple Executive Vice President Tim Cook told the plaintiff to go home from his work at Apple and that 'a change is coming' or words to that effect." On the same day, he said that Apple CEO Steve Jobs told him, "You're not a failure. Even God couldn't have done both of the jobs I pushed you to do." Jobs reportedly accused Bucher of being manic-depressive, saying "I'm not sure what I am going to do, but I think I am going to have to ask you to leave the company."



The suit also says that Bucher was terminated, in part, because of a perceived disability, although further details were not available.



"During his nearly two years at Apple, he did an outstanding job for the company and was well-regarded by colleagues on the Macintosh team," said Daniel Pyne, an attorney for San Jose, Calif.-based Hopkins & Carley.

by MacNN Staff