A student is suing the Getty Foundation, claiming she was denied an internship because she is white.

Samantha Niemann has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Los Angeles-based organization and accused them of violating her civil rights.

Niemann, who studies at Southern Utah University, claims she 'was deterred from applying' for the foundation's Multicultural Undergraduate Internship program in February 2015.

According to court documents seen by CBS Los Angeles, she was denied the place after being told only black, Asian, Latino, Native-American and Pacific Islander candidates were eligible.

Student Samantha Niemann is suing the Getty Foundation, claiming she was denied an internship because she is white. She has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Los Angeles-based organization (pictured) and accused them of violating her civil rights

Niemann - who is of German, Irish and Italian descent - was allegedly told that she was disqualified from applying because of her race and national origin.

The lawsuit argues Neimann was 'well-qualified' for the internship, as she has a 3.7 grade-point average.

She is seeking an unknown about of punitive damages.

A description of the Getty Foundation on their website reads: 'The Getty Foundation supports institutions and individuals committed to advancing the greater understanding and preservation of the visual arts in Los Angeles and throughout the world.

'We do this through grant initiatives that increase access to museum collections, strengthen art history as a global discipline, advance conservation practice, and support current and future leaders in the visual arts.'

Ron Hartwig, vice president of communications for the J. Paul Getty Trust, issued a statement to CBS Los Angeles in response to the lawsuit.

In part, it read: 'Over the past 23 years Getty grants have supported over 3,000 internships at 152 organizations throughout the county.