A professor at the University of Oklahoma is under scrutiny for giving a zero grade to a student, Samantha Furnecki, due to her essay referencing Christian beliefs. The teaching assistant, William “Mel” Kurth, who identifies with she/they pronouns, has been removed from the classroom following the incident. An uproar has arisen after an assistant professor allegedly showed bias by offering excused absences to students wishing to protest for Kurth’s reinstatement, while denying the same to students expressing opposing views.
On social media, an anonymous professor confirmed their support for the protests, which has led to tensions among students. Reports indicate that Kariv Magana, president of a Turning Point chapter, requested an absence due to his participation in a counter-protest but was declined unless he could provide a group of supporters. This sparked claims of discrimination from the Turning Point group against the university’s handling of the situation.
The university confirmed that there was a case of viewpoint discrimination, stating that one student was allowed to participate in a protest while another was not, and emphasized the importance of neutrality in educational settings. Following the incident, the university announced that the relevant instructors would be replaced and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting student participation in protests without penalties.
Furnecki, a third-year student, received a zero for her essay which was part of an assignment assessing responses to a paper about gender norms in middle school students. She had argued from a biblical perspective against the notion of multiple genders and referred to societal narratives as harmful. Kurth, in response to the assignment, criticized Furnecki’s work for lacking empirical evidence and articulated that the scoring criteria were not met, but acknowledged the controversial nature of the discussion.
Furnecki expressed her shock at the grade, feeling it was retaliatory given her beliefs. She noted that she offered her genuine opinion based on her understanding of the assignment and her worldview. Meanwhile, Kurth is reportedly on leave as the situation continues to unfold.
