text: A former college student is suing her school over claims she wasn't allowed to audition for the dance team because of her weight. Phylise Davis-Bowens, who attended Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, for their 'transformative leadership' program at the age of 37, launched a lawsuit after she alleged she was not allowed to try out for the 14 Karat Gold dancers. Mrs Davis-Bowens, a substitute public school teacher in Miami who married last Valentine's Day, told Daily Mail Online on Monday that she was discriminated against because of her weight and missed out on part of the academic experience. Phylise Davis-Bowens, 42, who attended Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, is suing her former college because she was not allowed to try out for the 14 Karat Gold dancers in 2009 . The 14 Karat Gold dancers are regular performers at sporting events related to the Florida university . The student, who had been dancing since the age of 16, had wanted to join the dance troupe to use her performance work as part of her thesis in 2009. Band director Donovan Wells told her she could try out for the team if she lost 20lb, she said. Mrs Davis-Bowens went on to lose 16lb in one month in order to try out but was still denied an audition for the dance troupe. After around a year, she had lost a total of 60lb. She told Daily Mail Online: 'I wanted to join because of my talent but the coach said I didn't have the body type. But to me, I have two arms and two legs which is what I needed.' The weight discrimination is of particular importance to Mrs Davis-Bowens because she lost her sister at the age of 37 to a gastric bypass because she was obese and felt under pressure to quickly lose weight. The 42-year-old said she also has ongoing health issues from losing weight quickly. According to their Facebook page, the 14 Karat Gold dancers are made up of college students who perform alongside the Marching Wildcats during college sporting events. In a statement to Daily Mail Online on Monday, a university spokeswoman said: 'Bethune-Cookman University was made aware today that a complaint was filed. 'We are currently investigating this matter. B-CU is an equal opportunity institution and encourage all students to be actively involved in our campus extracurricular offerings.' Ms Davis-Bowens' lawyer, David Glasser, told Daily Mail Online on Monday that his client had brought the lawsuit to make a point about discrimination and was seeking unspecified damages in district court which can award more than $15,000. The 42-year-old graduated from the college in 2011 and went on to teach in the Miami-Dade public school district. She also claimed that the school did not allow her to attend the graduation ceremony and sent her diploma in the mail. The 42-year-old woman (left) said she lost 16lb in a month to try out for the dance troupe but was still denied an audition. She went on to lose 60lb in a year . Mrs Davis-Bowens was seeking unspecified damages after being barred from college dance troupe auditions in 2009 at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach .
target: Phylise Davis-Bowens, 42, who attended Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida has launched a lawsuit .
  She claims that she lost 16lb to try out for the dance troupe and was still not allowed by the band director after joining the college in 2009 .
  She is seeking unspecified damages from the college .