My self and a coworker, have been with the company for 7 months. Yesterday, our boss hired a new receptionist, who knows nothing about the business, the payroll, and the checking accunt. She can just answer phones. The new girl started today, and this morning, our boss laid off myself and my coworker, saying he had to cut back.
There are others that came long after we did, that were hired to take over extra jobs we had been given. Those people are there also, even though if there were to be cutbacks, why couldn't they be laid off and us going back to do what they did as we did before.
We had seniority, but we were laid off and the newly hired ones stayed.
I was told today that a company cannot hire someone and then lay off others for cutbacks. If they hired someone then they can't scream 'cut backs'. Is this true? Were we laid off wrongfully?
I will also mention that our boss has always stated that women should be home, barefoot and pregnant and not in the workplace, and that if they are in the workplace they should not complain about their jobs, as they were the ones who burned their bras. Now...guess what? The ones who are staying with less time in are all men, and us women are the ones being laid off.
Can anyone enlighten me on this? Thank you so much for any info anyone can give to me.

I was told today that a company cannot hire someone and then lay off others for cutbacks. If they hired someone then they can't scream 'cut backs'. Is this true? Were we laid off wrongfully?

It is not true and no, you were not, based on what you have posted. The needs of one department or area may be different from those of another area and there is nothing in the law that says if one area has cutbacks all other areas are prohibited from hiring.

The ones who are staying with less time in are all men, and us women are the ones being laid off.

And the new employee is a woman, right? That's going to make it difficult for you to claim gender discrimination.