Who is Mel Curth? University of Oklahoma instructor fired following viral Bible-based essay controversy

Weeks after the viral Bible-based essay controversy, the University of Oklahoma (OU) has relieved Mel Curth, one of its graduate teaching assistants, of “instructional duties.” 

The school conveyed its decision to fire the trans instructor in a statement on Monday, December 22. The OU stated that the decision was made based on Curth’s “prior grading standards and patterns,” as well as her statements on the matter. The University of Oklahoma stated: 

“It was determined that the graduate teaching assistant was arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper. The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University.”

Mel Curth served as a graduate student instructor at OU’s Department of Psychology. According to the university’s website, her area of focus is “applied social and developmental psychology.” At the same time, the site lists Lara Mayeux, an assistant professor at OU, as Mel Curth’s advisor. 

The graduate teaching assistant, who also served as the course instructor, assigned a zero grade to a 650-word reaction essay written by Samantha Fulnecky, a junior student. The assignment was about reflecting upon an article concerning gender stereotypes. Fulnecky submitted an essay referencing the Bible, citing any specific verses. 

The junior student favored stereotypes and rejected the idea of multiple genders in her assignment. Fulnecky wrote: 

“God made male and female and made us differently from each other on purpose and for a purpose. God is very intentional with what He makes, and I believe trying to change that would only do more harm.” 

The student also described the idea of multiple genders as “demonic,” as she wrote: 

“Society pushing the lie that there are multiple genders and everyone should be whatever they want to be is demonic and severely harms American youth.”

Curth failed Fulnecky for using her “personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class” and labeled some of her arguments as offensive. The junior student later filed a complaint, which led to the instructor's firing. 

The University of Oklahoma removes the assignment from Fulnecky’s course; fires Curth as instructor 

The graduate teaching assistant gave a zero grade, criticizing the reaction written by the junior student. While grading the assignment, Mel Curth asserted that she did not deduct points for Fulnecky’s religious beliefs, but argued that it diverged from empirical research. Remarking on the student’s personal beliefs, Curth added: 

“While you are entitled to your personal beliefs, there is an appropriate time or place to implement them in your reflections.” 

She further criticized Fulnecky’s submission, in which she supposedly favored gender stereotypes: 

“You can say that strict gender norms don’t create gender stereotypes, but that isn’t true by definition of what a stereotype is. Please note that acknowledging gender stereotypes does not immediately denote a negative connotation, a nuance this article discusses.”

Megan Waldron, another instructor in the course, concurred with Mel Curth’s grading. However, Samantha Fulnecky filed a complaint, accusing the graduate teaching assistant of religious discrimination. TPUSA’s OU chapter also reported the accusation, while the University of Oklahoma placed Curth on administrative leave. 

A statement from the University of Oklahoma: pic.twitter.com/FzcjByOjpp

— University of Oklahoma (@UofOklahoma) December 22, 2025

Weeks later, the school reiterated: 

“The grade appeal was decided in favor of the student, removing the assignment completely from the student's total point value of the class, resulting in no academic harm to the student.”

OU refrained from disclosing the findings of the investigations, but confirmed the instructor’s firing. The university also 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.” 

OU concluded its statement: 

“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.” 

Many conservative internet users welcomed the decision, while other netizens criticized the university over its decision to fire Curth for grading an essay.