A federal judge has awarded three Minnesota women $130,000 each in a gender discrimination lawsuit after they alleged that they had been fired for being women. They were hired as a part of a group of 40 drivers in October 2010 to chauffeur Prince Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Aziz, his family and his friends while he received treatment in the US.
The lawsuit, filed in 2012, alleged that the prince had asked the limousine company for male drivers only. It was claimed that a witness overheard a man telling the limo company representative that only male drivers were wanted after the limousines had picked up the party from the airport and brought them to their hotel.
The following day, all three women were dismissed and replaced by male drivers.
They were awarded $100,000 each in damages relating to mental anguish and suffering, and a further $30,000 in lost wages.
Drivers for the royal party reportedly earn around $100 per day, as well as tips, expensive gifts and free meals.
The women did not receive any punitive damages because the judge ruled that the women had not proved that the defendants had acted “with deliberate disregard and malice.”
Women are banned from driving in Saudi Arabia, however there have been protests within the kingdom against this law.
