It is apparent that Rachel Dolezal will remain in the news cycle as more of her background is revealed to the public. The latest bit of news that has surfaced is that Dolezal sued her alma mater Howard University for racial discrimination.
In 2002, Dolezal sued Howard in Washington, DC superior court, when she went by the name of Rachel Moore, for discrimination based on her race as a white woman, pregnancy, family responsibilities and gender. The lawsuit names a Howard University professor and the school for improperly blocking her from getting a teaching assistant job, rejecting her from a post graduate instructorship and a scholarship when she was attending the university.
In the lawsuit, Dolezal further claimed the university’s actions were “motivated by a discriminatory purpose to favor African-American students over her” and that Howard was “permeated with discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult.” Dolezal was seeking damages for medical and emotional distress.
The lawsuit was dismissed by a superior court judge who found that Dolezal was not discriminated against because of her race or any other factor. The case was then appealed to the US Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court ruling. Because of her actions, Dolezal was ordered to pay court costs of $2,728.50 and also to pay Howard University $1,000 for an “obstructive and vexatious” court filing.
