Well the article states that the teacher give her a big fat zero for class participation--resulting in a C+ grade. The teacher has a Polish last name-so I lean toward her having had been a White.  EDIT: her lawyer had the Polish last name--so the teacher could very well have been non-white. I think the issue is more with the C+. It seems like he deliberately graded her JUST below a passing grade to taunt her. Why give her a C+ when he could have simply given her a C? just seems like a deliberate taunt to me, like Ooops, you ALMOST made it, HAHAHAHA P.S. screw you.     Also if class participation (or behavior) counts for more than 50% of your grade, that seems odd too (unless you're a medical student), especially if whatever the professor had issues with wasn't extreme circumstances or attributed to any fair reasoning.    It also seems like the professor didn't even attempt to help her bring her grade up, like he wanted her to fail. Being so close to a passing grade, should allow for some extra credit to make it into a passing grade. She was co close, literally one or a few assignments could have probably turned it into a passing grade. Just seems a bit like a disparagement and wasting of her time with zero actual chances given.