UNB women's hockey discrimination case to proceed

A tribunal has rejected an effort by the University of New Brunswick to have a discrimination complaint thrown out over its decision to get rid of varsity women's hockey.

The province's Labour and Employment Board has ruled that the complaint filed by Sylvia Bryson can proceed.

The university argued that Bryson didn't have a personal stake because she is not a full-time student and is working in Newfoundland, and therefore wouldn't qualify to play, so her complaint should be moot.

Bryson has been fighting to have the women's hockey team reinstated as a varsity squad since filing her complaint in 2009.

That came a year after the team was stripped of its funding and downgraded to a competitive sports club.

Bryson, who played for the team, alleges that the decision to relegate the women's team constitutes discrimination on the basis ofsex.

She says she is looking forward to having the hearings resume, which is expected to happen in the fall.