A pre-medical student at the University of Oklahoma is raising concerns after receiving a zero on a short reaction paper in which she expressed her Christian viewpoint. Samantha Fulnecky explained that the assignment asked students to share their personal response to an article about gender stereotypes. Moreover, every previous paper she submitted in the class earned full marks.

Because of this, she did not expect her latest essay to spark any controversy. She simply offered her opinion, as the instructions required, and referenced the Bible while discussing gender identity. According to Fulnecky, students had never been asked to provide research or empirical evidence for any reaction assignment throughout the semester.

However, when she received her grade, she was stunned. A zero, she said, is normally given when no work is turned in at all. The instructor’s comments surprised her even more. They claimed her writing was “offensive,” lacked empathy, and relied too heavily on “personal ideology.” The instructor also insisted she should have included empirical support, despite clear syllabus guidelines stating otherwise.

Fulnecky emailed her professor to request a review and provided screenshots of the course requirements. When that failed, she took her concerns to the department chair, the dean, and eventually the university president.

The university has since informed her that the zero will not affect her final grade. Nevertheless, Fulnecky remains unsettled by the experience and hopes her story encourages respectful dialogue in academic settings.