Summary: The University of Oklahoma removed a graduate teaching assistant from instructional duties after finding his grading of a Christian student’s essay was arbitrary. Junior Samantha Fulnecky received 0/25 for a response that cited the Bible while discussing an article on gender norms; her grade has since been restored. The provost reviewed the case and the university said it will strengthen training and review grading practices to protect both academic freedom and students’ rights.
University Of Oklahoma Removes Teaching Assistant After Christian Student Receives Zero For Bible-Based Essay
Students walk on campus between classes at the University of Oklahoma on March 11, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma.
The University of Oklahoma has removed a graduate teaching assistant from instructional duties after an investigation found his grading of a student’s response paper was arbitrary. The decision follows public outcry after junior Samantha Fulnecky received a score of 0 out of 25 on an assignment in which she cited the Bible while responding to a scholarly article on gender norms.
What Happened
Students in the course were asked to write a "thoughtful discussion of some aspect of" the article "Relations Among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence." The assignment rubric did not require students to support their reactions with empirical research. Fulnecky’s response affirmed traditional gender roles and referenced Genesis; published excerpts indicate she also described cultural trends toward nonbinary identification as "demonic."
Grading, Investigation, And Outcome
William "Mel" Curth, the graduate teaching assistant who uses she/they pronouns, gave the paper a 0 out of 25. Curth wrote that points were deducted because the response "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." Curth also argued in correspondence that current scientific and medical associations do not treat sex and gender as strictly binary.
The essay grade at the University of Oklahoma caused an uproar.
After Fulnecky filed a discrimination complaint, the university placed Curth on administrative leave and conducted a review of the grading and the teaching assistant’s prior grading patterns and statements. The university said the provost personally reviewed the case and that the Faculty Senate Executive Committee was engaged in discussions about the facts and process. The institution concluded the TA’s evaluation of this specific paper was arbitrary and said the "graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University." The university also confirmed that Fulnecky’s grade has been restored.
Statements And Broader Context
University statement: "The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in both its faculty’s rights to teach with academic freedom and integrity and its students’ right to receive an education that is free from a lecturer’s impermissible evaluative standards. We are committed to teaching students how to think, not what to think."
The case has prompted debate about how universities should balance academic freedom, objective grading standards, classroom norms for evidence, and protections for students expressing religious beliefs. The university said it will review best practices and training to ensure instructors assess student work objectively while preserving the ability to teach and inspire.
Next Steps
The university did not specify additional disciplinary action beyond removing instructional duties. It said it will continue to examine training and policies to prevent arbitrary grading and ensure fair treatment of student work across sensitive topics such as religion and gender.
