‘Mel Curth has been the target of a political movement that seeks to silence and/or oust LGBTQ people from academia,’ attorney says

A graduate student at the University of Oklahoma who was recently stripped of teaching duties after giving a Christian student a zero on an essay has filed an appeal.

The essay, which defended traditional gender roles and criticized transgenderism, was graded by TA Mel Curth, who identifies as transgender. Curth told the student the reason for the failing grade was that she did not use “empirical evidence,” and parts of the essay were offensive.

After the student, Samantha Fulnecky, filed complaints about the mark, university leaders determined the grade was arbitrary and Curth was removed from teaching duties.

“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,” according to a Dec. 22 statement published by the university.

Curth’s appeal, filed Dec. 30, will be considered by the University of Oklahoma’s Institutional Equity Office, the Oklahoman reported.

“Ms. Curth fully denies that she engaged in any discriminatory behavior. It is her position that the investigation was flawed, failed to consider all possible motives and issues, and that new evidence has come to light that undermines the investigation’s conclusion,” attorney Brittany Stewart told the newspaper. “Rather than engaging in discrimination, Mel Curth has been the target of a political movement that seeks to silence and/or oust LGBTQ people from academia.”

Curth’s attorney also claims new evidence bolsters her client’s appeal, citing an interview Fulnecky gave.

“During one of those interviews, the student admitted that she merely looked at the topic of the assignment and then rushed together a response based on her personal feelings regarding a tangential issue that was not even the main thesis of the assigned article, because she was in a hurry to go see a play that evening with her friend,” Stewart told the Oklahoman.

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