DALLAS - Did a Texas company go too far as it tried to appeal to shoppers? That's the allegation of a Dallas woman who says she was ordered to fire women because they weren't Hispanic.

Megan Myles had a signed contract and all the materials that she needed to set up a booth promoting Caress' new body wash at a local discount store. Then she and 17 others were suddenly fired. "She told me I had to be Hispanic," said Myles. "I asked could I be bilingual or fluent in Spanish enough to do it just like any other demo? And she said no, they request me to be Hispanic."

Myles and the others were hired by Tanya Soulemaine, Dallas manager for the Houston-based staffing company, Vim.

Soulemaine says she was requested to find women who fit this profile - "attractive female bilingual hispanic, that's four things." When she could find only one Hispanic, she filled in with others whose Spanish was limited. But even Myles, who studied Spanish for five years, wasn't good enough for Soulemaine's boss. She says through an exchange of e-mails, he repeatedly demanded she find "bilingual Hispanics."

According to the President of the Texas Employement Lawyers Association, this demand is probably illegal. "It means to me they were profiling by race and ethnicity," said attorney Ken Molberg.

Vim's president told WFAA's Gary Reaves that the e-mails were a mistake by a low level emplyee who should have only said the women need to be bilingual. This is a job skill they can legally require.

Caress says it's investigating the matter because it never asked Vim to hire only Hispanics. "We are an equal opportunity employer and expect the businesses we work with to follow the same practices," said spokesperson Stacie Bright.