University of Oklahoma instructor on leave after failing Bible-based essay asserting belief in multiple genders is "demonic"

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Instructor at University of Oklahoma Placed on Leave After Failing Student's Bible-Based Essay

A controversy has erupted at the University of Oklahoma after an instructor was placed on leave following a complaint from a student who received a failing grade on a psychology essay that cited the Bible to argue against the concept of multiple genders.

Samantha Fulnecky, a 20-year-old junior, claimed that her professor unfairly penalized her for expressing her sincerely held religious beliefs. According to Fulnecky's essay, she believed that the idea of multiple genders is "demonic" and harms American youth. The student argued that promoting this concept would lead society further away from God's original plan for humans.

Fulnecky received zero points on the assignment, which accounted for 3% of her final grade, due to what the instructor described as her failure to address specific aspects of the argument and her heavy reliance on personal ideology over empirical evidence. The instructor also stated that Fulnecky's essay was at times "offensive."

The university has defended its decision, stating that it remains committed to fairness, respect, and protecting students' rights to express their sincerely held beliefs. However, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has expressed concern over the situation, calling on the university regents to review the investigation results and ensure that other students are not unfairly penalized for their beliefs.

This incident is part of a larger debate about academic freedom on college campuses, which has been exacerbated by President Donald Trump's push to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and restrict how campuses discuss issues of race, gender, and sexuality.
 
this is getting outta hand 🤯 like, cant even write an essay without it gettin taken away from u... whats the point of goin to uni if we cant express ourselves on a topic we care about? 🤔 but at the same time, i get where fulnecky's comin from - she was tryna speak her mind and be true to herself. it feels like theres this huge grey area between "i got a different opinion" and "u r wrong and ur beliefs are offensive". universities should be places of exploration and discussion, not places where u gotta walk on eggshells to avoid gettin marked down 📝
 
😔 This situation is really sad, I feel so bad for Samantha Fulnecky. She was just trying to express her own deeply held beliefs as a student, and it's not fair that she got penalized for it. 🤕 It's like the university didn't want to hear what she had to say or give her a chance to explore different perspectives.

I can imagine how frustrating and hurtful it must feel to be told that your opinions are "offensive". 😔 That's not what education is about, right? Learning from each other, growing together, and exploring new ideas. 💡 I hope the university will take another look at this situation and make sure that Samantha (and all students) are treated fairly.

It's also making me think about how important it is to create a safe space for students to express themselves without fear of judgment or reprisal. 🤝 We need to be able to disagree with each other and have respectful conversations, even when we don't agree on everything. 💬
 
🤔 I gotta say, it's kinda weird that the instructor thought Samantha's Bible-based arguments would be way outta bounds for a psych essay... like, shouldn't we be exploring all angles on human behavior? 😐 I mean, what about people who identify as non-binary or trans? Shouldn't their perspectives be included in the discussion too? 🤷‍♀️ At the same time, I get where Samantha's coming from and it's not fair that she got an F for not providing more empirical evidence... maybe some clear guidelines on what's okay and what's not would help avoid situations like this in the future? 📝
 
I'm so done with people trying to silence others for having different opinions 😒. This instructor got the university wrong - just because Samantha's essay had a biblical perspective doesn't mean she was unfairly penalized 🤔. The whole point of being in college is to learn and explore different ideas, not just regurgitate what you were told to believe from day one 💡. And btw, just 'cause something goes against the majority's views doesn't make it wrong 🙅‍♀️. It's about respecting students' rights to express themselves, even if we don't agree with them 💕.
 
I gotta say, this whole thing is kinda crazy 🤯! I mean, the student did get a zero on that essay, but was it really fair to dock points just 'cause she was expressing her personal beliefs? I guess the instructor felt like she wasn't using enough science-y stuff in there... But what about freedom of speech and all that jazz? It's like, isn't that what we're supposed to be all about? 🤔

And then you got the governor saying he wants the regents to review it, but I don't know if that's just gonna make things more complicated. Like, how do you balance letting students express themselves with making sure they're still learning actual stuff? It's like trying to solve a puzzle with wobbly pieces 😬

Anyway, I think this whole thing is just a reminder that we need to keep having these conversations about what it means to be an inclusive community. We can't just expect everyone to agree on everything (because, let's face it, they won't 😉). But at the same time, we gotta make sure our institutions are supportive of students' rights and stuff...
 
🤔 this whole thing feels like a setup for a PR disaster... the fact that she got zero points for an entire assignment because of her "sincerely held religious beliefs" is already sketchy, but then the prof calls it "offensive" ... sounds like someone's trying to avoid scrutiny. and what's with the gov getting involved? it just smells like politics 🤑
 
🤔 seriously though, can't we just have an open discussion without labeling someone as "offensive"? I get that she was supposed to use empirical evidence but come on, a 20-year-old trying to express her beliefs is not the same thing as some kinda hate speech... 🙄 and what's with this idea of having to choose between science and faith? Can't we just accept that everyone has different perspectives and try to understand where they're coming from? 😒
 
I think the uni did the right thing, gotta stand up for that prof's ability to challenge students' views 🤔. If a student can't back up their claims with facts, they shouldn't be getting high marks. It's all about critical thinking, not just regurgitating what you were told by your parents or online 😒. I'm not saying the prof was nice or anything, but if someone calls something "demonic", that's a pretty strong opinion 💁‍♀️. Can't have students being rewarded for spreading hate speech on campus 🚫.
 
🤔 The whole situation with this instructor at the University of Oklahoma seems kinda fishy to me 🐟. I mean, one student gets a zero on an essay for believing something about multiple genders being "demonic" and now everyone's making a big deal? 😒 It feels like some people are more concerned with their own rights than actually understanding where others are coming from. The university's defending the instructor's actions as fair, but it seems kinda hypocritical to me 🤷‍♀️. What if the student had been talking about something that was just plain wrong and hurtful? Shouldn't they still get zero points for being incorrect? 🤔 It's a bit of a slippery slope, you know? 📈
 
🤔 I'm not sure why this prof got placed on leave over this... it sounds like she was just being honest about her beliefs. I mean, come on, it's a psychology essay, not a lecture on her own faith. Can't be all about "empirical evidence" and no personal thoughts? 🙄 I'd love to see the original guidelines for that assignment... what exactly did they expect students to do there? And shouldn't students have the freedom to express their opinions, even if it's based on their faith? 🤷‍♀️
 
[Image of Grumpy Cat with a thought bubble that says "Free speech... or just yelling at people?"]

[A GIF of a person trying to have a rational conversation, but being interrupted by a loud, obnoxious voice]

[An image of a scale with one side labeled "Academic Freedom" and the other side labeled "Sincerely Held Beliefs"]

[A meme of a person in a straightjacket with a caption that says "When your professor makes you choose between facts and feelings"]
 
[Image of Grumpy Cat with a thought bubble saying "Ugh, academia"]

[ GIF of a person trying to have a serious conversation but being interrupted by a cat ]

[ Image of a student looking confused with a lightbulb above their head ]

[ GIF of a professor getting a failing grade on an assignment, with a big X marked through it ]

[Image of a scale tipping towards "free speech" and "academic freedom"]
 
omg this guy at OU got in trouble for citing bible and saying its not cool anymore 🤯 i think he was right tho like if u say something that goes against ur personal beliefs u shouldnt get penalized but on the other hand ur also supposed to do some research and be factual 📚💡 maybe theres a way to find middle ground where ppl can express themselves freely w/o getting docked points 👎
 
I'm so worried about this prof being on leave 🤕 - I mean, is a Bible study required in psychology class? Shouldn't they be teaching us science over spirituality in that subject? I get where the student's coming from, but the prof should've handled it better, you know? Like, give her some credit for expressing herself and then tell her how to improve her argument. Not zero points! 🤦‍♀️ And what about the other students who might not share those views? Should they also get a failing grade just because their opinions differ? Let's hope this university figure out how to handle these situations without trampling on anyone's rights... 😒
 
Ugh, can't believe this 🤦‍♂️. Some dude writes a super lame essay trying to cram his Bible-thumping ideology down everyone else's throat and gets zero on it? And now the prof is getting in trouble for calling out the BS? It's like, hello, if you're gonna cite scripture, at least try to make a decent argument 🙄. The whole thing reeks of someone trying to score points by being "moral" instead of actually doing some actual research. And what's with this "offensive" nonsense? Can't take a joke? 🤷‍♂️.
 
this whole thing just goes to show that we need to be super careful about what we're teaching our kids in schools, right? I mean, it's not about stifling free speech or anything, but we do have to make sure that all perspectives are heard, even if they might seem weird or uncomfortable at first 🤔. Like, the student was just trying to share her thoughts and beliefs, and she got shut down for it... that's kinda harsh 🙅‍♀️. But on the flip side, we also can't let people use their faith to tell others what's true or false... that's a slippery slope 🌉. I guess we need to find this balance between respecting everyone's beliefs and making sure everyone gets an education that's based on facts and science 💡.
 
🤔 this whole thing just feels like it's getting outta hand 🚨 what's next? gonna start censorin' books in high school English class too? 📖 i get where the prof is comin' from, gotta maintain some standards, but on the same token, can't we just have a respectful convo about different perspectives without makin' someone cry themselves to sleep at night 😭
 
🤔 This whole situation feels like an unfair double standard... If Samantha had just written some generic "God is great" statement, she'd probably still be in class next semester 🙄 But because she actually backed it up with a coherent argument (albeit one that's rooted in her own faith), the professor takes points off her grade? That doesn't seem right 🤷‍♂️ And what's the real issue here - is it really about promoting multiple genders or just a student's opinions on the matter? 🤔
 
Ugh, this whole thing is just crazy 🤯! I mean, I get it, we all have our own beliefs and values, but come on, shouldn't they be respected in a classroom setting? It's not like the instructor was trying to force anyone to believe what she thought. And yeah, I'm all for freedom of expression, but let's not forget that we're also learning how to think critically and analyze information objectively 🤔.

It's like, if you really want to argue your point, go ahead and cite some studies or experts in the field, don't just rely on personal ideology. And while I'm at it, let's talk about this whole "demonic" thing... what even is that? It sounds like something straight out of a bad '80s movie 🎥.

And another thing, if we're going to have these kinds of debates on campus, can't we try to do them without, you know, being super confrontational and divisive? I mean, I'm all for having respectful disagreements, but this whole situation just feels like it's got everyone on edge 😬.
 
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