Graduate instructor who gave failing grade to Samantha Fulnecky no longer teaching at OU

A graduate teaching assistant who gave a University of Oklahoma student a failing grade on a psychology essay will no longer be teaching at the university.

KOCO Updated: 7:06 PM CST Dec 22, 2025
Addison Kliewer
Special Projects Producer/Digital Editor

NORMAN, Okla. — A graduate teaching assistant who gave a University of Oklahoma student a failing grade on a psychology essay will no longer be teaching at the university.

The school released a statement Monday, saying the graduate instructor's prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant's own statements relating to the matter, were "arbitrary" in grading OU junior Samantha Fulnecky's essay. ... "The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University," according to the statement from 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."

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OU removes graduate teaching assistant after discrimination investigation

The University of Oklahoma has concluded an investigation into claims that a student was discriminated against by receiving a zero on an assignment for referencing the Bible. The University said the graduate teaching assistant has been removed.

Destini Pittman
December 22, 2025 03:54 PM • 1 min read

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NORMAN, Okla. -The University of Oklahoma said it has concluded the investigation into claims that a student was discriminated against by receiving a poor grade for referencing the Bible in an assignment. ... OU said that the graduate teaching instructor who graded the assignment will no longer have instructional duties at the University.

In a statement, OU said the Provost and academic Dean reviewed the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, and found that the graduate assistant was inconsistent in the grading of the assignment question. ... OU said the grade appeal was approved in favor of the student, and the assignment was removed from the student’s total point value of the class.

Since this matter involved faculty and student rights, OU stated that it has engaged in repeated and detailed conversations with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to ensure a clear understanding of the facts, the process, and the actions being taken. ... In a statement, the university said,

“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. 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.”

Destini Pittman
Destini Pittman is a digital content producer at News 9. She joined the team in June 2024 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Professional Media.