The University of Oklahoma announced Monday that a graduate teaching assistant who gave a student a zero on a psychology essay about gender stereotypes "will no longer have instructional duties" at the school, after the university concluded the grader had been "arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper." The statement did not specify whether further disciplinary steps would follow or whether the assistant remains on leave.
The episode centers on an online graduate-level psychology assignment that asked students to write a 650-word response to a scholarly article on gender expectations, according to screenshots shared by a local chapter of Turning Point USA. Samantha Fulnecky, a junior on a pre-med track, submitted an essay saying the article unsettled her and arguing that God created men and women differently. In the screenshots, Fulnecky wrote: "Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth."
Samantha Fulnecky during an interview in the office of The Oklahoman on Dec. 3. (Doug Hoke / The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Network)
The university did not name the instructor in its release, but the description appears to refer to Mel Curth, who NBC News reported assigned the zero. Curth, who is transgender, reportedly marked Fulnecky’s paper "does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive," according to the shared screenshots.
Fulnecky appealed the grade and filed a religious discrimination claim. The university said the grade appeal was decided in the student’s favor and the assignment was removed from the student’s total point value, resulting in "no academic harm to the student." The university also said it investigated the discrimination complaint but would not release the investigation’s findings.
A crowd gathers at the administration building to chant during a protest and march supporting the graduate assistant who graded Samantha Fulnecky's essay on the University of Oklahoma campus on Dec. 5. (Doug Hoke / The Oklahoman via USA TODAY Network)
The case has prompted protests and counterprotests on the Norman campus and drawn attention from conservative politicians and activists nationwide. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt publicly urged the university's governing board to intervene. The story has become a flashpoint in broader debates about academic freedom, grading standards, and religious expression in classrooms.
In its statement, the university reiterated a commitment to academic objectivity and to training instructors so they can "objectively assess their students' work without limiting their ability to teach, inspire, and elevate our next generation." Curth was previously placed on leave in connection with the incident; the university said Curth will "no longer have instructional duties." Curth and Fulnecky did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
Context And Reactions
This incident highlights tensions that can emerge when personal beliefs, sensitive topics and grading intersect. Supporters of Fulnecky have framed the decision as a matter of free expression and religious protection, while others have emphasized the instructor's responsibility to grade according to assignment criteria and academic standards.
University Statement: "We are committed to teaching students how to think, not what to think. The University will continue to review best practices to ensure that its instructors have the comprehensive training necessary to objectively assess their students' work."
Local and national responses are likely to continue as university officials weigh any additional actions and as campus groups organize around the case. The university’s refusal to publish the full findings of its discrimination investigation may further fuel debate over transparency and campus policy.
