- News
- World
- Americas
The university placed the instructor on leave as it conducts a ‘full review’ of the matter
Kelly Rissmanin New YorkTuesday 02 December 2025 17:24 GMTComments
CloseTrump signs executive order to combat 'anti-Christian bias'
Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features
Get the Independent Women email for free
Get the Independent Women email for free
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
A University of Oklahoma student claimed she was discriminated against because of her religious beliefs after she received a failing grade on an essay for her gender studies class. Now, Turning Point USA has taken on her push for “academic freedom” and her case has become a national sensation.
Samantha Fulnecky, a junior at OU, reported her psychology instructor to the school after she received an F on her paper. The university’s chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit founded by Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September, posted Fulnecky’s essay and instructor Mel Curth’s response online and blasted the instructor. Curth uses she/they pronouns.
In a social media post, Turning Point USA’s OU chapter voiced support for Fulnecky and denounced Curth: “We should not be letting mentally ill professors around students.”
The classroom clash has blown up online. Some social media users agreed with the instructor, criticizing Fulnecky’s writing ability, lack of sources, and digression from the instructions.
“Her paper was absolutely embarrassing. She failed to follow directions, didn’t meet the word count and didn’t cite a single source,” MaileonX wrote on the platform.
While others have dubbed the college student “an American hero,” and launched personal attacks at the instructor, while alleging the incident raises First Amendment concerns.
“Samantha Fulnecky is an American hero,” Former Oklahoma schools Superintendent Ryan Walters wrote on X. “She stood firm in her faith despite the radical attacks from the Marxist professors at the University of Oklahoma. The OU staff involved should be immediately fired and OU should not be receiving taxpayer dollars if they continue their assaults on faith. The war on Christianity is real, and we will not be silenced.”
open image in gallerySamantha Fulnecky, a junior at the University of Oklahoma, filed a discrimination complaint after she received a failing grade on a psychology essay, leading to the instructor being placed on leave and Turning Point USA getting involved. (Turning Point USA OU)The assignment, according to the nonprofit’s Thanksgiving social media post, was to write a 650-word essay reacting to a psychology article about the effect of gender norms on middle school students and their impact on mental health.
In her essay, Fulnecky repeatedly cited the Bible and emphasized her right to free speech, stating she believes “eliminating gender in our society would be detrimental, as it pulls us farther from God's original plan for humans.”
“Women naturally want to do womanly things because God created us with those womanly desires in our hearts. The same goes for men,” the junior wrote in the essay where she claimed gender roles should not be seen as stereotypes.
“The reason so many girls want to feel womanly and care for others in a motherly way is not because they feel pressured to fit into social norms. It is because God created and chose them to reflect His beauty and His compassion in that way,” Fulnecky argued.
“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 social media post also included Curth’s comments. The instructor noted that the grade deductions didn’t stem from her beliefs, but for “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 said Fulnecky is entitled to her own beliefs, but the article is based on years of psychological research and evidence, not just society “pushing lies.”
“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,” the instructor wrote, urging her to apply more “empathy” in her work.
Another instructor for the course, Megan Waldron, said she concurred with Curth’s F grade, saying Fulnecky’s essay “should not be considered as a completion of the assignment.” Waldron similarly urged the college junior to be more thoughtful and to cite empirical evidence in her arguments.
Turning Point had a different take, attacking the transgender community and higher education.
open image in galleryThe University of Oklahoma said it’s reviewing the matter and is conducting a formal grade appeals process (Getty Images)“We at Turning Point OU stand with Samantha. We should not be letting mentally ill professors around students,” the OU chapter of the nonprofit wrote.
“Clearly this professor lacks the intellectual maturity to set her own bias aside and take grading seriously. Professors like this are the very reason conservatives can't voice their beliefs in the classroom. Kuddos to Samantha for leading by example and standing up for what she believes in. @UofOklahoma, do better!”
Fulnecky insisted to The Oklahoman that she received zero points out of 25 “for my beliefs and using freedom of speech, and especially for my religious beliefs."
The university said it launched a “full review” of the situation after receiving a complaint from the student, including conducting a formal grade appeals process, reviewing the discrimination claim, and placing the instructor on leave, according to a statement released over the weekend.
“The University of Oklahoma takes seriously concerns involving First Amendment rights, certainly including religious freedoms,” the school said. “OU remains firmly committed to fairness, respect and protecting every student's right to express sincerely held religious beliefs.”
In a follow-up post Sunday, the organization wrote: “It's time for conservatives to take a stand and show teachers that we will not be intimidated for sharing conservative or Christian beliefs on assignments any longer. The only right thing to do is fire this professor. Good job Samantha Fulnecky, we stand with you.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February “eradicating anti-Christian bias,” vowing to terminate any “unlawful and improper conduct, policies, or practices that target Christians.”
Several prominent GOP voices in the state, including Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, weighed in on the matter, siding with Fulnecky and Turning Point USA.
“The 1st Amendment is foundational to our freedom & inseparable from a well rounded education,” he wrote in a social media post Sunday. “The situation at OU is deeply concerning. I’m calling on the OU regents to review the results of the investigation & ensure other students aren’t unfairly penalized for their beliefs.”
open image in galleryOklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and several other prominent Republicans in the state defended Fulnecky. (Getty Images)Dusty Deevers, a Republican member of the Oklahoma Senate, also defended Fulnecky, claiming the clash “raises serious First Amendment concerns and looks a lot like unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination by a state actor.”
“If a conservative professor gave a Muslim or transgender student a zero for expressing their convictions, the university would treat it as a civil-rights crisis. The standard must be the same when the student is a Christian,” Deevers wrote in a lengthy post. “Students do not lose their rights because a professor is offended.”
Many others online argued that her essay was not up to snuff and she deserved the grade she was given.
“Have we considered that Samantha wrote a bad Essay,” one X user remarked.
“Not remotely following an assignment has always been grounds for failing grade. If this is your attempt at a controversy it simply sends the message that your organization is run by people who can’t follow a basic homework assignment,” yet another wrote.
Another succinctly said: “Calling trans people ‘demonic’ is evil. Plain & simple. Hope that helps.”
More about
Turning Point USACharlie KirkOklahomagenderJoin our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
