Southwest
Oklahoma teaching assistant fired after uproar over flunking Christian student who referenced Bible in essay
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Weeks after a University of Oklahoma student’s story about being flunked on a paper that touted her Christian faith caused a viral uproar, the teaching assistant behind the grade has been fired.
“Based on an examination of the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching assistant was arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper,” the state’s flagship school said in a Monday evening statement. “The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University.”
Samantha Fulnecky, a junior at the school, received zero out of 25 on an assignment in which she referenced the Bible after graduate teaching assistant William “Mel” Curth, who uses she/they pronouns, scored the paper.
The teaching assistant tasked Fulnecky and her classmates with writing a response to a scholarly article titled “Relations Among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence,” which discusses results of a study about gender norms among middle schoolers and the social ramifications children may face for not conforming to gender norms.
OU student Samantha Fulnecky, with her Bible, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Nov. 24, 2025. (Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/Imagn Images)
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They were asked to provide a “thoughtful discussion of some aspect of the article.” The rubric for the assignment did not require students to provide empirical evidence in their responses.
The third-year student responded by saying that gender norms should be celebrated, not denigrated. She cited Genesis, the first book of the Bible, in which God created men and women equally, but with separate purposes.
“Gender roles and tendencies should not be considered ‘stereotypes,’” Fulnecky wrote in her essay. “Women naturally want to do womanly things because God created us with those womanly desires in our hearts. The same goes for men. God created men in the image of His courage and strength, and He created women in the image of His beauty. He intentionally created women differently than men and we should live our lives with that in mind.”
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Students walk on campus between classes at the University of Oklahoma on March 11, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma. (Brett Deering/Getty Images)
She later described the societal push toward nonbinary gender identification as “demonic.”
Curth took exception to Fulnecky’s essay, and gave her a zero out of 25.
“Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs, but instead I am deducting point [sic] for you posting a reaction paper that does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive,” Curth’s explanation for the grade said.
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Curth said the concept of only two sexes is not backed by science.
“You may personally disagree with this, but that doesn’t change the fact that every major psychological, medical, pediatric, and psychiatric association in the United States acknowledges that, biologically and psychologically, sex and gender is neither binary nor fixed,” Curth said.
Samantha Fulnecky, with her Bible, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Nov. 24, 2025. (Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
The graduate teaching assistant also called Fulnecky’s essay “highly offensive.”
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“I definitely think that I was being punished for what I believe because I very clearly stated in my essay in my response to the article, I very clearly stated my beliefs and stated what — not just my beliefs — but what the Bible and what God says about gender and about those roles,” Fulnecky told Fox News Digital amid the uproar.
Curth was placed on administrative leave after the student filed a discrimination claim, as the university conducted an investigation.
In its statement announcing Curth’s firing, the university said the school’s provost, described as the “highest-ranking academic officer,” personally reviewed the incident before the decision to fire Curth was made.
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“Because this matter involves both student and faculty rights, the University has engaged in repeated and detailed conversations with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to ensure there is an understanding of the facts, the process, and the actions being taken,” the statement said.
The essay grade at the University of Oklahoma caused an uproar. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
The school also noted that Fulnecky’s grade had been restored.
“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.”
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Los Angeles, Ca
Early morning Montebello fire leaves resident critically injured
At least one person was critically injured in a house fire that erupted in Montebello early Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the blaze engulfing a detached unit in the 100 block of South 5th Street near West Whittier Boulevard around 5 a.m.
Flames quickly spread to a nearby electrical pole, blowing a fuse and knocking out power in the area. Sparks could be seen as a loud pop was heard in a Citizen.com video later obtained by KTLA.
At least one person was believed to be in critical condition due to burn injuries, though officials have not released further details.
There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the fire.
A neighbor told KTLA that three people lived inside the home, including a child.
This is a developing story.
Los Angeles, Ca
Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests
Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.
The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.
The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.
The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.
The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”
“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”
That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.
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