Transgender lecturer Kath Khangpiboon has filed a complaint with the Administrative Court against Thammasat University for discriminating against her sexual orientation by not hiring her as a lecturer.
Ms Kath and her lawyer Nakhon Chompoochart brought the case to the court Monday, alleging the university and its screening committee violated her human rights and challenged the panel's decision.
Mr Nakhon said the case will be a test of the screening committee's judgement on recruitment.
Ms Kath said her case would raise public awareness of gender equity and human rights.
Ms Kath passed a written exam after she had applied for a lecturer job at Thammasat's faculty of social administration in June last year.
However, in March this year, the university's screening committee voted her application down, reasoning she had behaved improperly and used inappropriate language on social media that could negatively affect her image as a lecturer.
Ms Kath appealed to the court to revoke the screening panel's orders made on March 2, 2015 and June 22, 2015 to not employ her as a lecturer.
Ms Kath asked the court to order the screening committee to reverse its decision and hire her as a lecturer.
She also asked the court to order the panel to pay her 363,000 baht in compensation plus 7.5% interest, which is to be calculated from the date the court accepts the case for consideration.
She also requested redress for losing the chance of being hired as a lecturer with a monthly salary of 23,700 baht calculated from when the court accepts the case until the university accepts her as a lecturer.
Meanwhile, Udom Ratamarit, Thammasat's deputy dean for human resources administration, said Ms Kath has the right to file a complaint with the court.
He denied the panel's decision had anything to do with Ms Kath's sexual orientation, giving the same reasons earlier provided to the failed applicant about her actions and language on social media.
In another development, the court on Monday accepted a lawsuit filed by former Thammasat University lecturer Somsak Jeamthirasakul against the university and the Committee of Civil Servants in Higher Education Institutions.
In the lawsuit, Mr Somsak, who had served as a history lecturer in the university's liberal arts faculty for more than 20 years, asked the court to revoke the dismissal order issued for gross violation of civil servant discipline after he failed to show up to work for months.
After the May 22 coup last year, he defied an order to report to the coup makers and went into exile.
In the lawsuit he said he had seek asylum in France for his own safety.