Dolezal reportedly sued Howard for discrimination in 2002 when she graduated from the historically black college with a Master of Fine Arts degree. She was then known as Rachel Moore and sued Howard and Professor Alfred Smith, chairman of Howard’s Department of Art. The lawsuit is quoted as alleging “discrimination based on race, pregnancy, family responsibilities and gender.” She alleged that she was denied a teaching assistant post and that her application was rejected for a post-graduate instructorship in favor of African-American students. The lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Zoe Bush and Bush’s decision was upheld by the D.C. Court of Appeals. In addition to an order forcing her to pay a “Bill of Costs” of $2,728.50, she was ordered to pay the university nearly $1,000.00 in connection with an “obstructive and vexatious” court filing.
The unfolding background reveals a tragic obsession (and transformation) with race. That obsession would lead to the alleged falsification of information on government forms. It is also unclear whether this controversy will produce criminal charges.
Source: Smoking Gun