Ballet boss sacked for firing new mother

A French ballet boss has been fired after he dismissed a dancer for having a baby.

Lyon Ballet's board unanimously voted to remove Yorgos Loukos, the company's Director of 33 years, last week. He has been ordered to pay ballerina Karline Marion €5000 in compensation for firing her two days after she returned from maternity leave.

Loukos told municipal authorities that he fired Marion, then 34, becuase of her "physical and stylistic weaknesses". She had worked for Lyon Ballet for five years.

Marion recorded a conversation with Loukos in which he said: "If between the ages of 29 and 34 you did a fair bit, though not a lot, you are not going to do much more between 35 and 40, particularly with a child."