I believe that when applying for an internal job, the person is asked for an "updated resume". Her initial mistake occurred 28 years ago. She could have "updated" her resume at any point and explained that "This new version corrects some old errors" and no one would have cared.
I don't see this as lack of courage. It's just dishonest.
at least she didn’t say “it was an oversight on my part,” or “So and so prepared it and it escaped my attention.”