A jury in the Superior Court of Berkshire County, Mass., awarded nearly $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages to a former female employee who Wal-Mart Stores Inc., of gender discrimination and wrongful termination.

Cynthia Haddad worked as a Wal-Mart pharmacist for 10 years before being fired in April 2004. The store said she was fired because she left the pharmacy unattended and let a technician use her security code, resulting in the issuing of a fraudulent prescription. Haddad claimed she was fired after demanding pay equal to that of her male counterparts–she got a bonus, but was fired two weeks later.

“Wal-Mart took a 10-year employee with 10 years of the highest level of professional reviews available and, in 45 minutes, fired her for no legitimate reason,” said Richard Fradette, one of Haddad's attorneys. “At the same time, it tolerated violations of policies by male pharmacists with no punishment.”