Rochester Women Prevail in Saudi Prince Case

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of three Rochester women who sued after they were dismissed from their chauffeur jobs because a Saudi prince wanted only male drivers.

The women were among 40 drivers hired in October 2010 to chauffeur Prince Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Aziz, his family and friends while the prince was treated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

The lawsuit says the prince and his entourage told the limousine companies that they wanted male chauffeurs. Women in Saudi Arabia are prohibited from driving.

Gretchen Cooper, Barbara Herold and Lisa Boutelle filed a gender discrimination lawsuit in 2012 in Minneapolis.

The Star Tribune reports two of the three companies involved have settled with the women. Crown Prince Limousine remained a defendant.