In November, OU psychology junior Samantha Fulnecky filed a formal claim of illegal discrimination after receiving a zero on an essay on gender stereotypes in which she referenced the Bible as her sole source, later published by The Oklahoman.
The instructor, Mel Curth, said in her grading comments the paper did not follow the assignment and was at times “offensive.” In the essay, Fulnecky wrote that the “lie that there are multiple genders… is demonic and severely harms American youth,” as well as “lies spread from Satan.”
Curth was placed on administrative leave during the university’s investigation and was later relieved of all instructional duties at the investigation’s conclusion — a decision Curth is appealing, according to a Bluesky post from civil rights attorney Brittany Stewart.
OU claimed Curth’s grading of the paper was “arbitrary.” It did not release the findings of the investigation into Fulnecky’s religious discrimination claim, and the grade appeal was decided in her favor.
The petition, which has 24,571 signatures as of Monday afternoon and is addressed to OU President Joseph Harroz, demands OU:
- Release full details on the process resulting in Curth being placed on administrative leave in December.
- Publicly reaffirm the right of OU instructors to teach, grade and research “free of political interference, unlawful mandates or pressures that inhibit authentic engagement.”
- Work with the campus community to develop a Harassment Response and Prevention plan to provide guidelines for responding to political attacks.
“OU’s decision to place the instructor on administrative leave following a routine grading dispute — a decision it has yet to adequately explain — and subsequent failure to defend her from harassment and discrimination, including reported death threats, raises serious concerns about the University’s commitment to educational standards, academic freedom and instructor safety,” the petition reads.
OU’s Faculty Handbook pulls its definition of “academic freedom” from the AAUP:
“As teachers, faculty members encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students,” the policy reads. “They hold before them the best scholarly and ethical standards of their discipline. Faculty members demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. Faculty members make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of students reflect each student’s true merit.”
OU-AAUP President Michael Givel said the university’s actions open a “can of worms” for academic freedom and scholarly integrity.
“There’s a crisis at OU,” Givel said. “... are there concrete standards, in terms of academic integrity, scientific values, scholarly research? Or do instructors and anybody else have to worry about somebody who doesn’t like their grade claiming they’ve been discriminated against based on, supposedly, religion?”
Givel said the AAUP chapter wants clarity on the university’s response process for student discrimination complaints — a process he said is not in writing.
The case has drawn backlash from all sides. In November, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt posted on social media, calling for the OU Board of Regents to review the investigation. National publications have taken notice. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the incident “intellectual rot in higher education.”
In December, hundreds of supporters gathered at OU’s Norman campus to protest Curth’s suspension.
Fulnecky has since spoken to media outlets and at a recent event hosted by local conservative group Original Constitutional Principles Affecting Culture.
“I was asked to give my opinion, and I gave my opinion,” Fulnecky said at the event. “I’ve gotten 100% on every essay I’ve written in that class.”
Punitive measures for universities are also making their way to the state Capitol. Last week, Rep. Gabe Woolley (R-Broken Arrow) filed House Joint Resolution 1037, which would grant the legislature the authority to freeze, suspend or withhold up to 100% of state-appropriated funds recommended for allocation to a higher education institution within the Oklahoma State System for Higher Education. If approved, the measure would be placed on a statewide ballot.
OU did not return a request for comment on the AAUP’s petition. Givel said his organization will decide what it will do next if the university does not respond to the demands.
Editor's note: This article was corrected at 9:22 a.m. on Jan. 6 to correct wording from "cited" the Bible to "referenced" the Bible.
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