University of Oklahoma Professor Dismissed Over Controversial Student Essay
A second professor at the University of Oklahoma has been terminated following a contentious student essay that referenced the Bible in discussions about gender.
Recently, a transgender teaching assistant was placed on administrative leave after they assigned a zero grade to a student. This was in response to comments made about gender and mental health after the student accused a lecturer of bias based on his beliefs. Now, a different professor at the university’s Turning Point U.S. branch has also been put on administrative leave. The allegations state that he encouraged students to protest the suspension of the first instructor and even promised to excuse absences for those who participated.
According to the local Turning Point chapter, students were invited to join the “Sources, Not Preaching” protests. However, it was clarified that backers of the protests would not have their absences excused unless they could prove significant participation in counter-protests. An image circulated from the event showed the professor wearing a “Protect our Transgender Children” T-shirt.
The university issued a statement indicating that the actions of the lecturer were “inappropriate and wrong.”
On December 5, the first-year composition director addressed the class and sent out an email stating the professor’s conduct was inappropriate and that classroom settings should promote critical thinking rather than dictate beliefs. The director further mentioned that students absent that day could participate in the protest without repercussions and noted that their instructors for the semester would be replaced.
The student’s essay described assertions that there are multiple genders as “satanic,” which the professor found to be “deeply offensive.” They also remarked on the student’s lack of empirical evidence and noted that the essay was contradictory and failed to answer the assignment prompt.
The psychology junior expressed to The Oklahoman that she felt she was discriminated against for her beliefs, particularly her religious convictions. She contended that the grading rubric did not mandate empirical evidence.
In a video shared on the Turning Point branch’s social media, the student indicated that her poor grades were related to grammatical issues and blamed the backlash she experienced online. She mentioned receiving high marks on other assignments that matched her writing style.
OU has emphasized its commitment to First Amendment rights and is currently reviewing the circumstances, including the student’s academic performance.
