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A University of Oklahoma junior, Samantha Fulnecky, says she was given a zero on a psychology essay after quoting Scripture to defend traditional gender roles — an outcome that should make every American who values free speech and religious liberty sit up and take notice. The paper reportedly responded to an article about gender norms among middle-schoolers and included biblical references arguing that eliminating gender would pull society “farther from God’s original plan.” The graduate student instructor graded the essay poorly and called parts of it offensive, setting off a firestorm that reached national attention.
The university moved quickly after the complaint: officials say the graded assignment will not harm the student’s academic standing, a full review was launched, and the graduate instructor was placed on administrative leave while the matter is investigated. Those are sensible procedural steps, but they do not erase the fact that a young woman says she was penalized for expressing a religious conviction in an assignment that asked for opinion and analysis. Americans should be alarmed any time a campus treats sincere religious belief as if it were disqualifying, rather than a perspective worthy of debate.
According to reporting, Fulnecky cited Genesis and used traditional theological reasoning — even quoting the Hebrew phrase ezer kenegdo — to explain her view, while the instructor characterized parts of the essay as offensive and said it lacked empirical support. This is the paradox of today’s universities: they demand “evidence” when faith-based students speak, yet they allow ideology to masquerade as scholarship when it suits woke orthodoxy. The student’s description of being labeled as promoting “demonic” ideas shows how quickly disagreement becomes moral condemnation on many campuses.
Conservative students and groups immediately amplified the story, and it went viral — which is no surprise when schools punt on clear principles and let administrative bias do the grading for them. When campus administrators tolerate grading that smacks of viewpoint discrimination, they betray their mission to educate rather than indoctrinate. This episode is another warning sign for parents who assume that higher education will teach their children to think rather than to apologize for their faith.
The University of Oklahoma has said it is committed to protecting every student’s right to express sincerely held religious beliefs and has activated its formal review process for discrimination claims, which is the right legal response — but words must be followed by stronger culture change. School officials must make it clear that students will not be penalized for faith-based viewpoints and that academic standards cannot be a cover for silencing dissenting beliefs. If institutions won’t defend basic liberties on campus, concerned citizens and lawmakers should step up to protect them.
This fight is about far more than one paper or one instructor; it’s about whether America remains a nation where faith and free speech can thrive without fear of institutional punishment. Parents, pastors, and patriots should take note and demand that universities return to a commitment to open inquiry and genuine tolerance for differing worldviews. We must stand with students like Samantha and insist that the marketplace of ideas includes the Bible alongside the lab, not beneath it.
