In the aftermath of a controversial incident where a University of Oklahoma student was penalized for expressing her Christian beliefs in a paper, the teaching assistant responsible for the grading has been dismissed.
“After reviewing the grading practices and statements of the graduate teaching assistant involved, it was concluded that the grading in question was arbitrary,” stated the university in an announcement on Monday evening. “Consequently, the teaching assistant will no longer be involved in instructional duties at the University.”
The incident involved junior Samantha Fulnecky, who received a score of zero out of 25 on a paper in which she cited the Bible. This was after the paper was evaluated by graduate teaching assistant William “Mel” Curth, who identifies with she/they pronouns.
The assignment required Fulnecky and her peers to respond to a scholarly article titled “Relations Among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence.” The article explored the implications of gender norms on middle school students and the potential social challenges faced by those who do not conform.
OU student Samantha Fulnecky, pictured with her Bible at the Oklahoma Memorial Union on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/Imagn Images)
The students were instructed to engage in a “thoughtful discussion of some aspect of the article.” Notably, the assignment’s rubric did not mandate the inclusion of empirical evidence in their responses.
The third-year student responded by saying that gender norms should be celebrated, not denigrated. She cited Genesis, the first book of the Bible, in which God created men and women equally, but with separate purposes.
“Gender roles and tendencies should not be considered ‘stereotypes,’” Fulnecky wrote in her essay. “Women naturally want to do womanly things because God created us with those womanly desires in our hearts. The same goes for men. God created men in the image of His courage and strength, and He created women in the image of His beauty. He intentionally created women differently than men and we should live our lives with that in mind.”
Students walk on campus between classes at the University of Oklahoma on March 11, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma. (Brett Deering/Getty Images)
She later described the societal push toward nonbinary gender identification as “demonic.”
Curth took exception to Fulnecky’s essay, and gave her a zero out of 25.
“Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs, but instead I am deducting point [sic] for you posting a reaction paper that 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’s explanation for the grade said.
Curth said that the concept of only two sexes is not backed by science.
“You may personally disagree with this, but that doesn’t change the fact that every major psychological, medical, pediatric, and psychiatric association in the United States acknowledges that, biologically and psychologically, sex and gender is neither binary nor fixed,” Curth said.
OU student Samantha Fulnecky, with her Bible, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The graduate teaching assistant also called Fulnecky’s essay “highly offensive.”
“I definitely think that I was being punished for what I believe because I very clearly stated in my essay in my response to the article, I very clearly stated my beliefs and stated what — not just my beliefs — but what the Bible and what God says about gender and about those roles,” Fulnecky told Fox News Digital amid the uproar.
Curth was placed on administrative leave after the student filed a discrimination claim, as the university conducted an investigation.
In its statement announcing Curth’s firing, the university said that the school’s provost, described as the “highest-ranking academic officer,” personally reviewed the incident before the decision to fire Curth was made.
“Because this matter involves both student and faculty rights, the University has engaged in repeated and detailed conversations with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to ensure there is an understanding of the facts, the process, and the actions being taken,” the statement said.
The essay grade at the University of Oklahoma caused an uproar. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
The school also noted that Fulnecky’s grade had been restored.
“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 University will continue to review best practices to ensure that its instructors have the comprehensive training necessary to objectively assess their students’ work without limiting their ability to teach, inspire, and elevate our next generation.”
