Jul 16, 2014 12:51 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

A Muslim Latina student is suing the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) as well as an outside organization for wrongful expulsion and for stripping her of scholarship she'd already won, Fox News reported.

Moriah Elusta, who was set to graduate from UIC in May 2014, was awarded $2,000 scholarship from the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation in November 2013, but the offer was rescinded after refusing to meet with the donor for drinks.

The scholarship checks were handed out during the foundation's award ceremony on Nov. 22, but Elusta was unable to attend the event.

According to the student, Michael Gonzalez, the CEO of ILLCF, called her and said the money came directly from him and she must meet him for drinks in order to receive it.

"Mr. Gonzalez added that if plaintiff did not meet with him, he would cause problems for her at UIC," the suit claims. He allegedly told Elusta that he "had connections" at the university.

According to the complaint, Elusta refused to meet Gonzalez for drinks because she is Muslim and cannot "go out drinking and have sexual relations with men."

Elusta's was subsequently told by ILLCF that the she was not eligible for the scholarship because "as a Muslim, she didn't qualify as being Latina," Fox News reported. The scholarship guidelines specify that recipients must be of "Latino ancestry."

The lawsuit alleges that after Elusta and her father complained to ILLCF, the university accused her of submitting a fake letter of recommendation for the scholarship.

On April 24, Elusta was informed that she was dismissed from the university because she was "in violation of professional standards and misuse or unauthorized use of university documents," the suit claims, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

ILLCF spokesman Dave Lundy disputed Elusta's claim stating her scholarship was rescinded because she falsified a letter of recommendation.

"The ILLCF rescinded Ms. Elusta's scholarship solely because she submitted a falsified letter of recommendation with her application," Lundy told Campus Reform. "Irregularities were discovered in Ms. Elusta's application during our normal review process and, upon further investigation, the University of Illinois informed us that it has never had a faculty member with the name stated on the letter of recommendation submitted by Ms. Elusta."

He added that her religion "wasn't even remotely an issue." She denies writing the letter and claims in the suit that she rightfully received it.

Elusta's suit was filed in Cook County Court. She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

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