She is also known for bringing the first class action against an American university for its discriminatory treatment of women faculty.
In 1970 she initiated a class action lawsuit against Tufts University for unequal treatment of women.
The case was taken up by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, eventually decided in her favor, settled in the mid-1980s, and became a significant legal precedent.
[1][2][3] However, as a consequence of her actions, Joost-Gaugier found herself "harassed and ostracized by her university" and "widely blackballed".
She is responsible for obtaining a grant which commenced the restoration of Minoru Yamasaki's Courtyard in Detroit.