A University of Oklahoma medical master’s degree student is speaking out after reportedly receiving a zero for a reaction essay in which he cited the Bible and opposed gender ideology.
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“The challenge was to state our opinion and reaction to an article about gender stereotypes and gender norms,” Samantha Hrunecki told CBN News. “And that’s what I did.”
She said the assignment was part of a series of reaction papers she submitted throughout the semester, and that she got 100% before getting zero marks on all papers, but said the score was a shock to her.
“I didn’t really think about it too much,” Furnecki said of submitting her first assignment. “I just gave my opinion on it, and they’re just short essays. We were never asked to use any kind of evidence. No empirical evidence, no evidence at all. Just our opinions.”
However, the student said that his opinion, which was based on his Christian beliefs, earned him a poor score. Ms. Furnecki said the article she responded to discussed gender stereotypes and how children are often forced into boxes.
“I didn’t expect any backlash from instructors,” she said. “I definitely didn’t see zero coming.”
In the end, Ms. Hrunecki said she was “shocked” and had no idea how someone could get a zero on an assignment, noting that such marks typically come when a person submits a blank sheet of paper or simply refuses to work.
“When I read the instructor’s comments about it, I was even more shocked as to why I got a zero,” she continued. “That was even crazier for me.”
Furnecki continued, “The explanation was that we needed empirical evidence, but I was never asked to use empirical evidence in that class or in any evidence, and that was a big part of it. But another big part of the comments was that my writing was offensive, that my work needed more empathy, and that I couldn’t use personal ideology to defend my opinions.”
Hrunecki said she initially emailed her instructor and sent her a screenshot of the syllabus to push back on the idea that she needed evidence to support her reaction. She also asked for the grade to be reconsidered.
“He responded, ‘No, I’m not going to reconsider your grade. This is the grade you deserve.'” And he said the other TAs agreed that was the grade you deserved. ”
Furnecki decided to consult with the psychology department chair, dean, and provost, among others. She learned how to formally appeal her grade and then filed a religious discrimination report with the Office of Equity.
Frunecki said she didn’t hear much from the university at first. However, the issue with her grades has been resolved and the school has explained that the assignment will not be used against her.
“From there, I was also told that my assignments for that class would no longer be graded by that instructor,” Furnecki said, noting that the University of Oklahoma later issued a statement on social media saying the school was addressing the issue and that the instructor was on administrative leave.
Part of this came as a surprise, she said, because from her perspective, the university didn’t take the situation “very seriously.”
“They just told me what process to go through to challenge my grade,” Hrunecki said. “And they just left it there. So I was honestly shocked to see how much they claimed to care about it on social media.”
Furnecki said she has shared her story in various media outlets and has received “a lot of responses” from students who have reported similar issues on campus. She wants to encourage people to speak up and be bold.
“We encourage students to be bold in their opinions and beliefs and to be bold in their classrooms, but it’s creating some kind of backlash,” she said, adding that she has received support from her school’s TPUSA chapter and friends and loved ones. “When I was writing the essay, I didn’t think I was doing anything brave. … I thought I was just expressing my opinion.”
Ultimately, Furnecki hopes other young people will speak up and have their voices heard.
“It’s so important to be bold in your faith,” she said. “Standing up for Jesus is always worth it.”
Protests have erupted in support of the placed instructor, according to a report in the University of Oklahoma’s student newspaper, OU Daily. Many of those who gathered demanded that the graduate school lecturer be reinstated.
Some critics argued that Furnecki did not complete the assignment as intended and defended the failing score. You can read one such discussion here.
An email to the university seeking comment on the situation has not yet been returned.
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