The dispute began when OU student Samantha Fulnecky received a zero on a psychology essay that invoked Christian beliefs about gender. Conservative activists and former state schools chief Ryan Walters amplified the complaint and Turning Point USA’s viral post — which highlighted an instructor’s gender identity — drew more than 47 million views. Two instructors were placed on leave amid harassment reports, campus protests erupted, and state lawmakers threatened action while faculty warn of chilling effects on academic freedom.
OU Grading Dispute Over Gender Essay Sparks National Culture-War Backlash
Samantha Fulnecky, a college junior, contacted journalists and politicians about her grade dispute. (Doug Hoke / The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Network)
A University of Oklahoma student’s zero on a psychology essay that drew on Christian beliefs about gender has snowballed into a national controversy, drawing political leaders, conservative activists and large-scale online attention to the campus.
How It Started
Samantha Fulnecky, a junior on a pre-med track, received a zero on a 650-word assignment asking students to respond to a scholarly article about gender expectations. Screenshots shared by the student’s supporters show that Fulnecky’s essay described gender diversity as inconsistent with her Christian beliefs. A graduate teaching assistant who graded the paper explained the grade by saying the submission failed to answer the assignment, relied on personal ideology rather than empirical evidence and was at times offensive.
Marchers pass by the library on the University of Oklahoma campus during a protest supporting the graduate assistant who graded Samantha Fulnecky's essay on Dec. 5. (Doug Hoke / The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Network)
Rapid Amplification
Ryan Walters, CEO of the nonprofit Teacher Freedom Alliance and a former state schools superintendent, urged Fulnecky to "fight back," encouraged legal action and pushed for public attention. Kalib Magana, president of the University of Oklahoma Turning Point USA chapter, created an X account to share the screenshots. The post noted an instructor’s transgender identity and quickly went viral, registering more than 47 million views and attracting national conservative media coverage.
"Taxpayers are paying into this institution. They need to know exactly what’s going on," Walters said in an interview, urging greater public scrutiny of campus disputes.
Escalation and Institutional Response
The incident prompted calls from state Republican lawmakers for the university president to resign and threats of funding cuts. Two graduate instructors have been placed on leave and one was removed from teaching a course while the university investigates complaints, including allegations of religious discrimination. The graduate student senate reported that one instructor has received death threats and harassment.
Protesters and counterprotesters gathered outside the University of Oklahoma's administration building on Dec. 5. (Doug Hoke / The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Network)
Campus Climate and Broader Concerns
Protests and counterprotests erupted on campus. Some students and faculty say the attention has created fear about job security and safety, and faculty leaders warn of a chilling effect on academic freedom and grading practices if political pressure shapes university decisions.
Context and Next Steps
Observers place the episode in a broader pattern of high-profile campus conflicts that conservative groups and politicians have elevated as examples of perceived bias or ideological suppression. University officials have launched reviews and the matter may proceed through formal grade-appeal and discrimination-investigation processes. Lawmakers say they plan hearings next year to examine complaints from conservative and religious students about being penalized for their views.
What to watch: outcomes of the university’s investigations, any formal appeals by Fulnecky, and potential legislative actions that could affect university governance and academic freedom policies.
