A University of Oklahoma student, Samantha Fulnecky, says she was treated unfairly after receiving a 0 out of 25 on her school assignment. She believes the low grade resulted from her sharing her Christian beliefs in her writing. The story has now drawn attention as a case of possible religious bias at the university. Who Is Samantha Fulnecky? Samantha Fulnecky is a junior pre-med student at the University of Oklahoma, which is also called the Sooner State’s flagship university. She is working hard in her classes because she wants to become a doctor one day.
What Was the Assignment? Samantha and her classmates were asked to read a scholarly article called “Relations Among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence.”
The article talked about-
- gender norms (how boys and girls are expected to act)
- peer pressure at school
- mental health
- What happens when children don’t follow gender rules
The teacher told students to write a thoughtful response. They could:
connect the article to their own experiences
What did Samantha write in her papers? Samantha wrote her opinion based on her Christian teachings. She said-
- God made males and females on purpose.
- Men and women have different strengths.
- Gender roles are not “bad.”
- Trying to change what God made could cause more harm.
She also said boys and girls naturally like different things because God made them that way. In her essay, she wrote:
- “God made male and female differently for a purpose.”
- “Trying to change that would do more harm.”
Why She Got a Zero
After turning in her assignment, Samantha says the teacher’s assistant gave her 0/25. She believes this happened because her answers came from the Bible and did not match the assistant’s own beliefs about gender. She says she followed all the rules but was punished for her religious viewpoint. This has raised questions about freedom of opinion, freedom of religion, and fair grading in classrooms.
Post a Comment