Graduate instructor who gave failing grade to Samantha Fulnecky no longer teaching at OU

[mahatmakanejeeves]

The person who assigned a failing grade to the paper is still a graduate student at OU. This person is no longer a teaching assistant however. The loss of instructor status probably means a loss of income as well. No job; no pay.

Graduate instructor who gave failing grade to Samantha Fulnecky no longer teaching at OU

A graduate teaching assistant who gave a University of Oklahoma student a failing grade on a psychology essay will no longer be teaching at the university.

KOCO Updated: 7:06 PM CST Dec 22, 2025
Addison Kliewer
Special Projects Producer/Digital Editor

NORMAN, Okla. — A graduate teaching assistant who gave a University of Oklahoma student a failing grade on a psychology essay will no longer be teaching at the university.

The school released a statement Monday, saying the graduate instructor's prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant's own statements relating to the matter, were "arbitrary" in grading OU junior Samantha Fulnecky's essay. ... "The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University," according to the statement from OU.

The decision came after Fulnecky filed a claim of religious discrimination after she received a zero on an essay, where she referenced the Bible. The university said that the claim for discrimination has been investigated, but OU does not release finding for investigations like these.

Fulnecky referenced the Bible throughout a 650-word assignment, asking her to react to an article on gender roles for a psychology class. The graduate teaching instructor gave Fulnecky a zero on the assignment, saying she did not follow the guidelines. The instructor also called the article "at times offensive."

{snip}

OU removes graduate teaching assistant after discrimination investigation

The University of Oklahoma has concluded an investigation into claims that a student was discriminated against by receiving a zero on an assignment for referencing the Bible. The University said the graduate teaching assistant has been removed.

Destini Pittman
December 22, 2025 03:54 PM • 1 min read

{snip video}

NORMAN, Okla. -The University of Oklahoma said it has concluded the investigation into claims that a student was discriminated against by receiving a poor grade for referencing the Bible in an assignment. ... OU said that the graduate teaching instructor who graded the assignment will no longer have instructional duties at the University.

In a statement, OU said the Provost and academic Dean reviewed the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, and found that the graduate assistant was inconsistent in the grading of the assignment question. ... OU said the grade appeal was approved in favor of the student, and the assignment was removed from the student’s total point value of the class.

Since this matter involved faculty and student rights, OU stated that it has engaged in repeated and detailed conversations with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to ensure a clear understanding of the facts, the process, and the actions being taken. ... In a statement, the university said,

“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.”

Destini Pittman
Destini Pittman is a digital content producer at News 9. She joined the team in June 2024 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Professional Media.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. OU concludes Bible-based essay investigation, graduate instructor to no longer have instructional duties

OU concludes Bible-based essay investigation, graduate instructor to no longer have instructional duties

Dec 22, 2025 Updated 7 hrs ago • 5 min to read


Bizzell Memorial Library on Oct. 7.
Matthew Moore/OU Daily

By Audrey McClour
Reporter

A graduate instructor who was placed on administrative leave after failing a Bible-based essay in an online psychology course will no longer have instructional duties at OU, according to a statement released by the university Monday.

“Based on an examination of the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as 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 statement reads. “The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University.”

OU recently made national headlines after psychology junior Samantha Fulnecky publicly claimed religious discrimination after she received a failing grade for a Bible-based essay in a psychology course. The course’s graduate instructor, Mel Curth, was placed on administrative leave Nov. 30, according to a previous statement released by the university.

{snip}

[underpants]

2. Ridiculous

[mwmisses4289]

3. Stupid student who couldn't follow directions rewarded

Graduate student who followed rules punished. Got it.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. And, we thought the 'upside down' was a TV show fantasy. (n/t)

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Sure hope the TA leaves Oklahoma for bluer pastures.

[3Hotdogs]

6. - and files suit on his way out.

[3Hotdogs]

7. Meanwhile, sweetheart is a hottie. She will find employment at Turning Point or some

Congressional intern position.

[Takket]

8. She was fired because she was trans and a drumpf supporting Christian targeted her for removal

The rest of this is nonsense window dressing...

some other fascinating adds to this......

The student wrote the paper in 30 minutes, without even knowing the assignment.......

Worth noting that the student admits that she just threw the thing together in 30 minutes without reading the paper she was supposed to be responding to.

— Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) 2025-12-23T13:06:40.230Z

Also! It should be noted that the paper she was supposed to be responding to was NOT about trans people. She just went off on that tangent because she thought the paper was about that.

— Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) 2025-12-23T16:49:11.988Z

Another clip from that interview: she said that when she got the bad grade, two of the people she emailed included THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE and that Ryan Walters creep

— Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy.com) 2025-12-23T19:44:58.882Z

It is quite frustrating.......... prior to drumpf things like this wouldn't have happened. People were being fired for overt racism and sexism. now the pendulum has swung back and people simply doing their jobs at colleges are being fired because students are inventing crises they can use to scream to right wing politicians for support.

My advise for the brave woman wronged here... movie to a blue state, some place where this won't happen, and you can live free. Then sue the university and the student. I think discovery would be very informative here. I bet there are texts, emails, something out there from the student working with right wing figures about how they were going to astroturf this assignment into a national controversy to get the instructor fired.