OU dismisses instructor who gave failing grade on controversial essay, sparking debate over academic freedom and religious discrimination.
The University of Oklahoma has taken action against a graduate teaching assistant, Mel Curth, who gave a failing grade to a student, Samantha Fulnecky, on a psychology paper. The paper, which referenced the Bible and expressed personal beliefs, sparked a national debate over religious discrimination and academic freedom.
Fulnecky, a student, claimed religious discrimination after receiving a zero on her psychology paper. She believes she received the bad grade because she referenced the Bible in her writing. The assignment was to write an essay in response to a research-based article titled “Relations among gender typicality, peer relations, and mental health during early adolescence.”
The essay received considerable criticism from around the nation, as many have pointed out mistakes in the paper. Fulnecky didn’t mention the title of the article or cite back to its content throughout her writing. She instead leaned heavily on the Bible and God, but didn’t reference specific verses.
The teaching assistant, Mel Curth, said in her feedback that the zero grade wasn’t due to the personal beliefs expressed in the assignment, but rather to the numerous errors made. Fulnecky defended her work, saying she’s gotten a 100 on every single essay she’s written in that class.
Fulnecky filed a grade appeal following the situation, and claimed religious discrimination. Her appeal was granted, removing the zero grade from her overall total grade in the class. She also contacted Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma University’s chapter of Turning Point USA, garnering national attention.
The university’s provost and the academic dean investigated the case and determined that the graduate teaching assistant’s grading was inconsistent with prior standards and patterns. The school said the graduate teaching assistant would be taken off instructional duties, but would not release further findings from its discrimination investigation.
The chapter of the American Association of University Professors launched a petition urging the university to uphold academic freedom and better protect faculty. A chapter spokesperson said, "Essentially, nothing is new here. OU claims without providing any supporting or specific reasons why Mel Curth was removed."
The controversy has sparked a debate over academic freedom and religious discrimination, with many questioning the university's handling of the situation and its commitment to protecting faculty and students' rights.
