00:00A transgender graduate instructor at the University of Oklahoma has been given the boot
00:04after she gave a failing grade on a conservative student's Bible-based essay on gender stereotypes.
00:1120-year-old Samantha Fulnecki made waves in late November when she was given a big fat zero for
00:17her provocative essay response to an article on gender stereotypes. The college junior presented
00:22a faith-fueled argument against the liberal belief in multiple genders, though she neglected
00:28to firmly cite the Bible. Fulnecki claimed to Fox News she still followed the assignment's
00:33instructions, which included a thoughtful reaction. I was told to give my opinion on gender stereotypes
00:39and gender norms, so that's what I did. I didn't think that was me needing to be brave or have
00:45courage. I thought I was just sharing my opinion like I was asked to do, so that's what I did,
00:51and I talked about the Bible and what God says about gender norms and about how there are two
00:55genders and things like that. And the response I got back was a zero on that paper and the TA saying
01:02that my writing was offensive and that I needed more empathy. The school wrote in a statement that
01:07the psychology course's instructor, Mel Kurth, a transgender grad student, was officially removed
01:13from her position following widespread backlash. Based on an examination of the graduate teaching
01:19assistant's own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching
01:23assistant was arbitrary in the grading of the specific paper. The graduate teaching assistant
01:28will no longer have instructional duties at the university. For the assignment, Kurth, who uses
01:34she, they pronouns, had asked students to pen a 650-word response to an academic article that weighed
01:40whether conformity with gender norms was associated with popularity or bullying among middle school
01:45students. In the essay, the OU Jr. argued she didn't believe in more than two genders because, quote,
01:52that is how God made us.
Comments