Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Student Anonymously Exposes Details About Essay That Got Trans Instructor Removed From University
Students at the University of Oklahoma are now weighing in on the controversy surrounding the transgender graduate instructor who was removed after failing a student last month for citing the Bible in a gender essay.
The failed student, Samantha Fulnecky, addressed the situation on Wednesday, December 3, shortly after earning a new win in the dispute, but some of her peers claim the viral narrative left out key details.
Highlights
- Students at the University of Oklahoma say Samantha Fulnecky’s Bible-heavy essay did not meet the assignment’s academic criteria.
- The controversy escalated further because the removed instructor, Mel Curth, is transgender.
- Faculty and students are now organizing protests demanding Mel’s reinstatement, as peers publicly dispute claims of religious discrimination.
While the university sided with Fulnecky, several students have voiced support for instructor Mel Curth as new, unexpected details emerge.
“She didn’t have to do all this extra stuff,” one social media user reacted.
RELATED:
Mel Curth had given Samantha Fulnecky’s psychology essay an F, a 0 out of 25, a score that could have significantly impacted her overall grade
Image credits: University of Oklahoma
The assignment at the center of the dispute asked students to analyze how society perceives people based on gender expectations.
Mel Curth designed the task around a 2014 academic article by Jewell, J. A., and Brown, C. S., titled Relations among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence.
The core discussion in the paper states that “gender stereotypes regarding what it means to be a ‘typical boy’ or a ‘typical girl’ permeate American society.”
However, Samantha Fulnecky’s 650-word submission, instead of engaging with “empirical evidence,” relied heavily on “personal ideology.”
Image credits: University of Oklahoma
The student cited the Bible multiple times, arguing that traditional gender roles should not be considered stereotypes because “that is how God made us.”
“Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth… there would be less gender issues and insecurities in children if they were raised knowing that they do not belong to themselves, but they belong to the Lord.”
The rubric for the assignment stated that students were expected to present “a thoughtful discussion of some aspect of the article,” rather than simply summarizing it
Image credits: ou_wtennis
According to Curth, “To call an entire group of people ‘demonic’ is highly offensive, especially a minoritized population.”
She also encouraged Fulnecky in her grading notes to “apply some more perspective and empathy” in future assignments.
Fulnecky, however, argued that the essay was opinion-based and claimed the failing grade amounted to “illegal discrimination” by the instructor.
Image credits: MaileOnX
She even filed a complaint with the university, which promptly responded by placing Curth on leave on November 30, 2025.
But an anonymous classmate of Samantha, who requested anonymity due to fears of backlash, shared additional context, including the exact rubric Curth had provided for the assignment.
The controversy gained traction because Mel is a transgender instructor, which added further tension given the content of the submission
Image credits: lanebrown_3
The student told local outlet News4 that one of the main criteria was producing a “thoughtful discussion of some aspect of the article… The best reaction papers illustrate that students have read the assigned materials and engaged in critical thinking about some aspect of the article.”
Other rubrics included a “discussion of why you feel the topic is important and worthy of study (or not),” “application of the study or results to your own experiences,” “suggestions for further studies or experiments that might help researchers better understand the topic,” and “your own thoughts about how development proceeds in the domain article,” among other criteria.
Image credits: UofOklahoma
According to the anonymous student, Samantha hardly referenced the article she was supposed to analyze and instead centered her paper almost entirely around biblical citations.
She reportedly mentioned the reference article only once at the beginning and did not cite the author’s name throughout, unlike other students who incorporated it several times in their responses.
The student told the outlet, “There was simply talking about beliefs associated with the Bible, which I feel as though is not academically stable.”
Image credits: samanthafulnecky
“Her name wasn’t on it. The instructor’s course was not on it. There was no relation to the paper cited anywhere in the source, which the paper was about the source that was given in the actual assignment itself. So there shouldn’t be any points towards that, even if it was a well-written paper that had grammatical issues…”
“If God wanted her to have an A, he would have given her one. It’s all in his hands! <sarcasm>” joked one user targeting Samantha online
Image credits: samantha_fulnecky
Image credits: summerh0usee
However, yesterday, December 3, the university ruled that the controversial essay, despite receiving an F, would not count toward Samantha’s final course grade.
Officials confirmed that the review had been completed and “resulted in steps to ensure no academic harm to the student from the graded assignments.”
Fulnecky addressed the development, saying, “To be what I think is clearly discriminated against for my beliefs and using freedom of speech, and especially for my religious beliefs, I think that’s just absurd.”
Image credits: theoudaily
“It has to do with me talking about god and my stance on gender. I think I should have gotten 100. I’ve got 100 on every single essay I’ve written in class.”
But her peers disagree that the grade reflected discrimination.
One student told News4, “This isn’t about religious discrimination. People are sick of these things happening, and that across the board, things like TPUSA and things like other extremist organisations have a chokehold over people like the president of OU.”
Students are now protesting in support of the dismissed instructor, even as the higher administration has shown support for Fulnecky
Image credits: theoudaily
Image credits: flonjau
“I’ve never really been interested in politics, if I’m being honest, until now,” the anonymous student concluded.
According to reports, several students are organizing a protest on Friday, December 5, at noon, marching from the Union to the South Oval on campus.
They are calling for the university to reinstate the dismissed transgender instructor immediately.
Amid the controversy, instructors teaching another section of the same course have also backed Mel’s original grade, calling Samantha’s essay “concerning.”
Image credits: GabeGwoolley
Teaching staff member Megan Waldron wrote in her feedback to Fulnecky, “Your paper directly and harshly criticizes your peers and their opinions, which are just as valuable as yours. Disagreeing with others is fine, but there is a respectful way to go about it.”
So far, Mel has not publicly commented on the headline-making controversy or her dismissal.
“It sounds like the student did not critically discuss the article, just gave her opinions which don’t hold water,” wrote one netizen
Poll Question
Total votes ·
Thanks! Check out the results:
Total votes ·
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
Jaya 18 hours ago
It's probably no coincidence that the teacher is trans. If the teacher wasn't, nobody would probably bat an eye about some student who thinks she shouldn't have failed her paper. But as soon as a story involves a trans person, the right wing start spreading the story like wildfire, just to flood people's timeline with stories of trans people doing things wrong, hoping that it will make people dislike trans people. And if the trans person wasn't actually wrong, as in this story, they will twist it around to make it seem like the trans person did something horrible. Trans people are not our enemy, they're just people who were born in the wrong body. Just normal people who are trying to live life in a way that makes them happy.
Ms.GB 14 hours ago (edited)
The student didn't cite any sources and it's hard for me to believe a college student doesn't know how to write a proper essay. I think she wrote a subpar paper on purpose knowing her trans teacher would fail her so that she could make a big to do about it and try to get her fired.
Load More Replies...
Jaya 18 hours ago
This is why it's important to know the full story before getting outraged. 'Failing a paper because you mentioned the Bible' is a completely different thing than 'Failing a paper because you only wrote that the Bible is against it instead of actually doing a good analysis of the issue'. It's like saying "The professor failed me because I'm a Christian!!" when you actually failed because you answered all the archeology questions with "The Bible says the earth is young so dinosaurs must be fake!"
Alder 16 hours ago
Heh, I haven't heard that phrase in a while. You're not from Scotland by any chance...? :D
Load More Replies... Norfolk and good 18 hours ago
"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
Apatheist Account2 16 hours ago
Have you been reading Crystalwitch's comments?
Load More Replies...
E Henry Todd 18 hours ago
My favourite part is that she submitted an essay, at university, that was only 650 words and believed that she should get 100%.
FreeTheUnicorn 16 hours ago
Wait, the student called groups of people demonic and is the complaining about discrimination? Maybe don't put the hate speech in the paper.
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 14 hours ago
Those snowflakes have absolutely no self-awareness
Load More Replies... TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 17 hours ago
I read the essay. It is absolutely slop. If someone in one of the classes I taught turned in that utter pile of s**t I would have asked her to drop my class, since it shows that she isn't serious about the class or her education or she is entirely too dumb to be attending higher education.
Tabitha 18 hours ago (edited)
How did she get into college if she can’t tell the difference between a psychology course and a creative writing course? And OU—-not to mention the other colleges, universities, law offices, and businesses that caved to the fascists, the holy rollers, and all the other fanatical republican bullies—-is going to have a huge lawsuit on its hands once Fat Donald and his evangelical minions are in prison or firmly under their rocks, and this nightmare is finally over. Little Miss Thing will have to hide under her own rock forever once the intelligent, rational, and reasonable people have finally taken over again.
Andy 18 hours ago
I completely disagree with what OU did, but at the same time I can see they are in a predicament. Already they have lost jobs, had funding and grants cut, students removed by ICE etc for having opinions differing from the f*ckwits in power. If they did the right thing and said this girl was failed because she is a moron, who knows what the government retaliation would be. And sadly, people said the same thing after Trumps last term, that sanity would return. But here we are, they are back and far worse than before.
Load More Replies...
Sue User 18 hours ago
In college, I had an English professor that was interpreting a short story a certain way. I raised my hand, objected to the interpretation. Then I started backing up my claims with excerpts from the story and referencing other literary works. Professor was not happy but could not fault my logic. You can have any opionion you want, you just have to "bring the receipts" .
Shark Lady 18 hours ago
It sounds like the student saw how infamous the person who objected to the trans woman on the University swimming team is, so decided to follow her example in the hope it would get her name out there. If you can't follow the instructions for writing an essay you probably shouldn't be studying for a degree. P.s my comment is based on the information in this article, which I am taking at face value.
Apatheist Account2 16 hours ago
This really should be very simple. The head of department should grade the paper, and give their reasons for their grade. The excerpts suggest that she didn't answer the question. The gender identity of the teacher is irrelevant.
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 14 hours ago (edited)
She did not answer the question. The reason she failed is because the essay was 1/10 the required length, 650 words vs the instructed 6000 words, and no facts, data, or sources were used or cited. That is why she failed. I read the essay, and I feel dumber because of it
Load More Replies...
Lazy Panda 2 14 hours ago
Under UK legislation this doesn't meet the bar for religious discrimination. If a non-Christian wrote the same paper they'd receive the same grade. The grade isn't a reflection of her beliefs but of her inability to construct a proper paper.
Jenny 15 hours ago
This was her calculated attempt to get on the grift gravy train that so many others have jumped on. It seems to be working in her favour, so far. I guess it's easier for her to make money this way than to follow instructions and do the work asked of her.
Thanos'Fingers 13 hours ago
Republicans are so stupid. All you have to do is walk through a public setting with an a*****t rifle, or insult a minority but then play the victim, and they will throw money and cushy jobs at you for life. Right, Riley?
Load More Replies... greenideas 14 hours ago
I'm a university instructor and consider myself pretty open to all viewpoints, but this paper sounds like a fail. Granted, I would need to see all of it, but it doesn't sound like she based her opinions on empirical research. She could have at least quoted research on religion and gender identity to support her opinions (if such research exists...) I mean, does she also quote the Bible in her geology or history classes?
Zac 16 hours ago
crazy that the party line of every university is always "the professor has full discretion to pass or fail you as they see fit" until their precious fan fiction book is involved then its "religious discrimitation". my best friends father died when i was in college, the morning of an exam. he of course couldnt attend the exam because his father was dead. i couldnt attend because i had to drive my sobbing roommate 200 miles back home because HIS FATHER WAS DEAD. we were both failed by the professor for missing the exam and told by the dean "sometimes we have to make hard choices about our prioritites, and the professor is well within his rights to fail you both for missing the exam" i should have just said we were going to f*****g church and sued them i guess. f**k these people to hell and back.
azubi 10 hours ago
If some student had written a 650-word rant about trans people being god 's best choice they'd have failed the same way, because academic work isn't about spilling out unsupported opinions, whatever they are. An academic examination is designed to demonstrate that you are capable and willing to correctly understand the arguments of others, to comment on them in a reasoned manner, and to develop your own position. Deciding that an achievement such as the one described here would not count toward the student’s final course grade is an attack on academia and science itself. This is more than concerning, like so many news from the US these days.
JayWantsACat 12 hours ago
Anyone who hires this idiot is getting a "DEI" hire based on their own (incorrect) definition of what that is. Also, I guess what they're saying is we can just answer with what we believe and then claim religious discrimination, right?
Robin Roper 3 hours ago
This would be like answering an essay question with a mathematical equation. The answer may be correct in some classes but it's not the answer to the question asked. The student may have deserved 25% if she had proper spelling and well formed sentences. She deserved the grade she received.
Scott Rackley 5 hours ago
So, just fail her for not submitting work according to the directions. Once you mention religion or write "perspective and empathy" you gave her an in. Simple, "Essay provided did not conform to directions"
Forrest Hobbs 8 hours ago
What's gone wrong with BP? It used to be filled with entertaining and interesting diversions, with a sideline in beautiful things. Now? It seems like they're going for rage-bait all the time. This one's got the lot - bible stuff, trans stuff, I can't even... Dreadful - so, downvoted.
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 14 hours ago
What do you know of the US? All you do is spout ignorant comments about the worst of the US's stereotypes. Seriously, just shut the f**k up and keep the US out of your f*****g mouth until you educate yourself
Load More Replies...
Andy 15 hours ago
The essay is not fine. She could have written about the impact of Christianity on viewpoints related to gender in the US, however it needs to be from an academic perspective, using actual references and quotes. She would also need to apply critical thinking to explaining opposing views, and evaluating the pitfalls of how those views are established. "I'm Christian and the bible says so" is not an acceptable viewpoint for an essay.
Load More Replies... 
Ellinor she/they/elle 17 hours ago
So women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser are not real women to you ?
Load More Replies... Tabitha 17 hours ago (edited)
Your comment is obviously your own “mental m**********n”. Do you know what a rubric is? I think not. This assignment is typical for most college level psychology, and also some sociology, courses. It is meant to get the student to think OUTSIDE their own familiar norm, and stretch their minds to think of why such norms—-which are merely social constructs that can, and have very often throughout history, completely change, even totally reverse themselves—-exist in the first place. That’s the kind of mind expansion, thinking outside your comfort zone, that this student was incapable of making. But it’s precisely the kind of thinking that helps a student develop critical thinking skills, which is part of what higher education is all about. Go grab your favorite sock, fap yourself silly, STFU, and leave us grownups alone.
Load More Replies...
Jaya 18 hours ago
It's probably no coincidence that the teacher is trans. If the teacher wasn't, nobody would probably bat an eye about some student who thinks she shouldn't have failed her paper. But as soon as a story involves a trans person, the right wing start spreading the story like wildfire, just to flood people's timeline with stories of trans people doing things wrong, hoping that it will make people dislike trans people. And if the trans person wasn't actually wrong, as in this story, they will twist it around to make it seem like the trans person did something horrible. Trans people are not our enemy, they're just people who were born in the wrong body. Just normal people who are trying to live life in a way that makes them happy.
Ms.GB 14 hours ago (edited)
The student didn't cite any sources and it's hard for me to believe a college student doesn't know how to write a proper essay. I think she wrote a subpar paper on purpose knowing her trans teacher would fail her so that she could make a big to do about it and try to get her fired.
Load More Replies... Jaya 18 hours ago
This is why it's important to know the full story before getting outraged. 'Failing a paper because you mentioned the Bible' is a completely different thing than 'Failing a paper because you only wrote that the Bible is against it instead of actually doing a good analysis of the issue'. It's like saying "The professor failed me because I'm a Christian!!" when you actually failed because you answered all the archeology questions with "The Bible says the earth is young so dinosaurs must be fake!"
Alder 16 hours ago
Heh, I haven't heard that phrase in a while. You're not from Scotland by any chance...? :D
Load More Replies... Norfolk and good 18 hours ago
"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
Apatheist Account2 16 hours ago
Have you been reading Crystalwitch's comments?
Load More Replies... E Henry Todd 18 hours ago
My favourite part is that she submitted an essay, at university, that was only 650 words and believed that she should get 100%.
FreeTheUnicorn 16 hours ago
Wait, the student called groups of people demonic and is the complaining about discrimination? Maybe don't put the hate speech in the paper.
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 14 hours ago
Those snowflakes have absolutely no self-awareness
Load More Replies... TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 17 hours ago
I read the essay. It is absolutely slop. If someone in one of the classes I taught turned in that utter pile of s**t I would have asked her to drop my class, since it shows that she isn't serious about the class or her education or she is entirely too dumb to be attending higher education.
Tabitha 18 hours ago (edited)
How did she get into college if she can’t tell the difference between a psychology course and a creative writing course? And OU—-not to mention the other colleges, universities, law offices, and businesses that caved to the fascists, the holy rollers, and all the other fanatical republican bullies—-is going to have a huge lawsuit on its hands once Fat Donald and his evangelical minions are in prison or firmly under their rocks, and this nightmare is finally over. Little Miss Thing will have to hide under her own rock forever once the intelligent, rational, and reasonable people have finally taken over again.
Andy 18 hours ago
I completely disagree with what OU did, but at the same time I can see they are in a predicament. Already they have lost jobs, had funding and grants cut, students removed by ICE etc for having opinions differing from the f*ckwits in power. If they did the right thing and said this girl was failed because she is a moron, who knows what the government retaliation would be. And sadly, people said the same thing after Trumps last term, that sanity would return. But here we are, they are back and far worse than before.
Load More Replies... Sue User 18 hours ago
In college, I had an English professor that was interpreting a short story a certain way. I raised my hand, objected to the interpretation. Then I started backing up my claims with excerpts from the story and referencing other literary works. Professor was not happy but could not fault my logic. You can have any opionion you want, you just have to "bring the receipts" .
Shark Lady 18 hours ago
It sounds like the student saw how infamous the person who objected to the trans woman on the University swimming team is, so decided to follow her example in the hope it would get her name out there. If you can't follow the instructions for writing an essay you probably shouldn't be studying for a degree. P.s my comment is based on the information in this article, which I am taking at face value.
Apatheist Account2 16 hours ago
This really should be very simple. The head of department should grade the paper, and give their reasons for their grade. The excerpts suggest that she didn't answer the question. The gender identity of the teacher is irrelevant.
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 14 hours ago (edited)
She did not answer the question. The reason she failed is because the essay was 1/10 the required length, 650 words vs the instructed 6000 words, and no facts, data, or sources were used or cited. That is why she failed. I read the essay, and I feel dumber because of it
Load More Replies... Lazy Panda 2 14 hours ago
Under UK legislation this doesn't meet the bar for religious discrimination. If a non-Christian wrote the same paper they'd receive the same grade. The grade isn't a reflection of her beliefs but of her inability to construct a proper paper.
Jenny 15 hours ago
This was her calculated attempt to get on the grift gravy train that so many others have jumped on. It seems to be working in her favour, so far. I guess it's easier for her to make money this way than to follow instructions and do the work asked of her.
Thanos'Fingers 13 hours ago
Republicans are so stupid. All you have to do is walk through a public setting with an a*****t rifle, or insult a minority but then play the victim, and they will throw money and cushy jobs at you for life. Right, Riley?
Load More Replies... greenideas 14 hours ago
I'm a university instructor and consider myself pretty open to all viewpoints, but this paper sounds like a fail. Granted, I would need to see all of it, but it doesn't sound like she based her opinions on empirical research. She could have at least quoted research on religion and gender identity to support her opinions (if such research exists...) I mean, does she also quote the Bible in her geology or history classes?
Zac 16 hours ago
crazy that the party line of every university is always "the professor has full discretion to pass or fail you as they see fit" until their precious fan fiction book is involved then its "religious discrimitation". my best friends father died when i was in college, the morning of an exam. he of course couldnt attend the exam because his father was dead. i couldnt attend because i had to drive my sobbing roommate 200 miles back home because HIS FATHER WAS DEAD. we were both failed by the professor for missing the exam and told by the dean "sometimes we have to make hard choices about our prioritites, and the professor is well within his rights to fail you both for missing the exam" i should have just said we were going to f*****g church and sued them i guess. f**k these people to hell and back.
azubi 10 hours ago
If some student had written a 650-word rant about trans people being god 's best choice they'd have failed the same way, because academic work isn't about spilling out unsupported opinions, whatever they are. An academic examination is designed to demonstrate that you are capable and willing to correctly understand the arguments of others, to comment on them in a reasoned manner, and to develop your own position. Deciding that an achievement such as the one described here would not count toward the student’s final course grade is an attack on academia and science itself. This is more than concerning, like so many news from the US these days.
JayWantsACat 12 hours ago
Anyone who hires this idiot is getting a "DEI" hire based on their own (incorrect) definition of what that is. Also, I guess what they're saying is we can just answer with what we believe and then claim religious discrimination, right?
Robin Roper 3 hours ago
This would be like answering an essay question with a mathematical equation. The answer may be correct in some classes but it's not the answer to the question asked. The student may have deserved 25% if she had proper spelling and well formed sentences. She deserved the grade she received.
Scott Rackley 5 hours ago
So, just fail her for not submitting work according to the directions. Once you mention religion or write "perspective and empathy" you gave her an in. Simple, "Essay provided did not conform to directions"
Forrest Hobbs 8 hours ago
What's gone wrong with BP? It used to be filled with entertaining and interesting diversions, with a sideline in beautiful things. Now? It seems like they're going for rage-bait all the time. This one's got the lot - bible stuff, trans stuff, I can't even... Dreadful - so, downvoted.
TACO Don's Authentic TexMex 14 hours ago
What do you know of the US? All you do is spout ignorant comments about the worst of the US's stereotypes. Seriously, just shut the f**k up and keep the US out of your f*****g mouth until you educate yourself
Load More Replies... Andy 15 hours ago
The essay is not fine. She could have written about the impact of Christianity on viewpoints related to gender in the US, however it needs to be from an academic perspective, using actual references and quotes. She would also need to apply critical thinking to explaining opposing views, and evaluating the pitfalls of how those views are established. "I'm Christian and the bible says so" is not an acceptable viewpoint for an essay.
Load More Replies... Ellinor she/they/elle 17 hours ago
So women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser are not real women to you ?
Load More Replies... Tabitha 17 hours ago (edited)
Your comment is obviously your own “mental m**********n”. Do you know what a rubric is? I think not. This assignment is typical for most college level psychology, and also some sociology, courses. It is meant to get the student to think OUTSIDE their own familiar norm, and stretch their minds to think of why such norms—-which are merely social constructs that can, and have very often throughout history, completely change, even totally reverse themselves—-exist in the first place. That’s the kind of mind expansion, thinking outside your comfort zone, that this student was incapable of making. But it’s precisely the kind of thinking that helps a student develop critical thinking skills, which is part of what higher education is all about. Go grab your favorite sock, fap yourself silly, STFU, and leave us grownups alone.
Load More Replies... You May Like "Here's To Safety Without Bigotry": Debate Over Lesbian Who Confronted Alleged Trans Lady At Gym “Enough Is Enough”: People Cancel Gym Memberships Over "Disgusting" Incident Involving Trans Lady "I'm Born Female": Bearded Trans Man Forced To Explain Himself After Woman Confronts Him
Karina Babenok
Gabija Saveiskyte
Karina Babenok
Related on Bored Panda
20
63