A graduate teaching assistant at the University of Oklahoma has been removed from their teaching duties after giving a failing grade to a student’s psychology essay.
In a statement released Monday, the university described the instructor’s grading practices as “arbitrary,” pointing to inconsistencies in their grading patterns and statements made regarding the assignment in question.
As a result, the university announced that the graduate teaching assistant will no longer hold any instructional responsibilities at OU.
The decision came after Fulnecky filed a claim of religious discrimination after she received a zero on an essay, where she referenced the Bible. The university said that the claim for discrimination has been investigated, but OU does not release finding for investigations like these.
Fulnecky referenced the Bible throughout a 650-word assignment, asking her to react to an article on gender roles for a psychology class. The graduate teaching instructor gave Fulnecky a zero on the assignment, saying she did not follow the guidelines. The instructor also called the article “at times offensive.”
A second instructor for the course agreed with the grade, saying the assignment was not followed.
Fulnecky appealed her grade, and the assignment was removed from her final grade. No academic harm was done to the student due to the grade, according to the university.
OU said it has been engaged in detailed conversations with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to ensure there is an understanding of the facts and actions being taken.
“The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in both its faculty’s rights to teach with academic freedom and integrity and its students’ right to receive an education that is free from a lecturer’s impermissible evaluative standards,” OU said in a statement. “We are committed to teaching students how to think, not what to think. The University will continue to review best practices to ensure that its instructors have the comprehensive training necessary to objectively assess their students’ work without limiting their ability to teach, inspire, and elevate our next generation.”
A full breakdown of the situation can be read here.
