A University of Oklahoma graduate teaching assistant has been terminated following a controversial grading incident involving a student’s faith-based essay on gender.
The case centers on Samantha Fulnecky, a 20-year-old junior at the university who submitted an essay in late November for her psychology course.
The assignment required students to write a 650-word response to an academic article examining the relationship between gender norm conformity and social dynamics among middle school students.
Fulnecky chose to argue against the existence of multiple genders in her paper.
She grounded her position in religious beliefs, stating “that is how God made us,” though she did not provide formal citations for biblical references.
The essay received a failing grade from Mel Curth, a graduate student instructor who uses “she/they” pronouns.
Curth was responsible for teaching the psychology course at the time.
In her written feedback to Fulnecky, Curth stated that the student had not properly addressed the assignment prompt.
The instructor indicated that Fulnecky relied too heavily on “personal ideology” rather than “empirical evidence” in her response.
Curth also took issue with specific language in the essay.
The instructor noted that certain assertions were “at times offensive.”
“To call an entire group of people ‘demonic’ is highly offensive, especially a minoritized population,” Curth wrote in her feedback.
This referred to Fulnecky’s statement that “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.”
The instructor’s comments also pointed out what she characterized as contradictions in Fulnecky’s argument.
“You can say that strict gender norms don’t create gender stereotypes, but that isn’t true by definition of what a stereotype is. Please note that acknowledging gender stereotypes does not immediately denote a negative connotation, a nuance this article discusses,” Curth added in her feedback.
After Fulnecky’s essay and the grading controversy became widely known on social media, the University of Oklahoma launched an investigation.
The school examined claims that Fulnecky had faced religious discrimination.
In early December, before the investigation concluded, the university announced that the failed essay would not affect Fulnecky’s final grade in the course.
Curth was placed on administrative leave during this period, reported the New York Post.
The investigation concluded on Monday when the university released an official statement regarding its findings.
“Based on an examination of the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching assistant was arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper. The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the university,” the school wrote.
Fulnecky’s essay also included statements about her approach to living according to religious principles.
“I live my life based on this truth and firmly believe that there would be less gender issues and insecurities in children if they were raised knowing that they do not belong to themselves, but they belong to the Lord,” she added in her paper.
The case attracted attention from Oklahoma political figures.
Ryan Walters, who served as the state’s schools superintendent until leaving his position in September, praised Fulnecky’s actions.
He described her as “an American hero” for taking a stand in “the war on Christianity.”
Oklahoma state Representative Gabe Woolley, who represents the 98th District, also weighed in on the matter. He presented Fulnecky with a “citation of recognition” from his office.
Woolley issued a statement following the announcement of Curth’s termination.
“This was the right decision. As I said from the beginning, this individual should never have been employed at a public university — particularly in a human sciences role — when he rejects the fundamental biological reality that there are two genders,” Woolley wrote.
