Women allege 'soccer mom' discrimination

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TORONTO, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Seven Canadian women aged over 60 have filed a human rights complaint that they were fired for not looking like "soccer moms," a Toronto advocacy group said.

The group from southwestern Ontario alleges they were terminated from their part-time jobs as supermarket product demonstrators for InStore Focus.

The women were employed from 10 to 15 years, and worked an average 14 to 28 hours a week, the QMI Agency reported.

Beth Walden, a lawyer with the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, said in a release 64-year-old Lone Thompson was told she "no longer fit the profile" of a demonstrator.

"My manager called me and said, 'I have some bad news, (the store) is profiling and they no longer want to use you," Thompson said. "They want soccer moms, they feel soccer moms shop for children."

The company told each of the women there had been a downturn in business, but the women said job vacancies were posted on the company's Web site after they were let go.

Carlos Lui, Instore Focus vice president of finance, told QMI the company shut down its sample division in May, but wouldn't comment further.