Oklahoma student files discrimination complaint against trans instructor after failing gender essay

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA: An Oklahoma University class assignment on gender stereotypes sparked controversy after student Samantha Fulnecky flunked her essay and then filed a discrimination complaint.

A graduate assistant teaching the course was yanked from the position while the university investigates Fulnecky’s allegation that she was targeted “based on religious beliefs.”

The psychology class was taught by transgender graduate student Mel Curth, who uses “she/they” pronouns. The prompt asked students to write about “how people are perceived based on societal expectations of gender.” Fulnecky instead delivered a Bible-heavy essay slamming the idea of multiple genders, according to a thread shared by the school’s Turning Point USA chapter.

Curth failed the paper, saying Fulnecky ignored the actual assignment and leaned on “personal ideology” rather than “empirical evidence.”

The essay in question and the pushback

Fulnecky’s roughly 650-word essay repeatedly stressed she didn’t mind gender stereotypes because “that is how God made us.” She didn’t cite the assigned article she was supposed to analyze, other than a quick mention of “teasing as a way to enforce gender norms.”

Most of the paper focused on what she described as the harm caused by believing in more than two genders, though there’s no confirmation that the original article covered that topic.

Fulnecky wrote, “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.”

She added, “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.”

Curth called Fulnecky’s claims “at times offensive.” She wrote, “To call an entire group of people ‘demonic’ is highly offensive, especially a minoritized population." 

She also flagged what she thought were contradictions in the paper, “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 urged Fulnecky to “apply some more perspective and empathy” and said criticism was welcome, but needed to use the "methodology of empirical psychology.”

Another graduate instructor, Megan Waldron, who teaches a different section of the same course, also backed Curth’s grading. Waldron said it was “concerning” that Fulnecky didn’t view “bullying or teasing to be ‘a bad thing.’”

“Your paper directly and harshly criticizes your peers and their opinions, which are just as valuable as yours,” Waldron wrote. “Disagreeing with others is fine, but there is a respectful way to go about it.”

Turning Point USA chimes in

Fulnecky’s story gained traction after Turning Point USA Oklahoma blasted the instructors and the university on X.

“We at Turning Point OU stand with Samantha. We should not be letting mentally ill professors around students,” the group posted.

They continued, “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!”

TPUSA also published Fulnecky’s full essay. “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," they added.

The group demanded that Curth be fired.

University  of Oklahoma tight-lipped on who was placed on leave

The University of Oklahoma issued a statement on X confirming that a “graduate student instructor” had since been placed on administrative leave while administrators review the student’s discrimination complaint.

Fulnecky, Curth, and Waldron were not named in the statement.

It’s still unclear whether Curth or Waldron was officially removed or disciplined in the aftermath.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.