Oklahoma professor placed on administrative leave after protest controversy

A University of Oklahoma The professor is now facing disciplinary action in relation to a zero grade given to a Christian student in a recent essay.

Last week, the school confirmed that teaching assistant William “Mel” Kurth, who uses “she/they” pronouns, had been removed from the classroom after… Failed student Samantha Volnicki In an essay in which Volnicki invoked her Christian beliefs and the Bible.

Now, an assistant teaching professor has been accused of viewpoint discrimination stemming from a protest organized to defend Kurth’s return to the classroom.

University of Oklahoma Issue a statement A post on social media Friday evening confirms that the professor, who was not identified, provided an excused absence to students who wished to join the protest in favor of reinstating Kurth.

Samantha Volnicki failed after citing her faith in a University of Oklahoma article. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

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Turning Point chapter president Caleb Magaña reportedly requested an excused absence to participate in a counter-protest for the same event, according to the newspaper. Group social mediaWhich identified the professor as Kelly Alvarez. In a later interview with the student newspaper OU dailyreportedly identified Magaña Alvarez as his second English composition teacher.

Republican State Sen. Shane David Jett He also said that Alvarez was responsible for the alleged discrimination.

But Alvarez rejected Magaña’s request unless there was a “documented collection.” [of counter-protesters] “It can be regulated,” Turning Point said at X.

“Caleb should not be marked absent for appearing as a counter-protester while supporters are excused. This is discrimination,” the Turning Point post said. “Professor Caleb expected to organize an entire counter-protest with people confirming they would attend, rather than allowing him to show up alone like everyone else. His freedom of speech and ability to have an excused absence have become dependent on others agreeing to participate in his counter-protest and share his beliefs. This is incredibly anti-free speech and discriminatory toward an opposing point of view.”

The school responded to this allegation.

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“On Wednesday, a lecturer demonstrated viewpoint discrimination by exempting students who intended to miss class to attend a campus protest, but did not provide the same benefit to students who intended to miss class to express a counter viewpoint,” the University of Oklahoma said in a statement posted on social media.

The headteacher immediately responded to the situation and “told students in class today and via email that the lecturer’s actions were inappropriate and wrong, and that the university classroom exists to teach students how to think, not what to think.”

Students walk on campus between classes at the University of Oklahoma on March 11, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma. (Brett Dearing/Getty Images)

“The principal has also announced that any student, regardless of their point of view, will be excused from class today to attend the vigil without penalty, and that the lecturer has been replaced, effective immediately, for the remainder of the semester,” the school said, adding that it unequivocally supports the principal’s decision to fire the professor.

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The professor was also placed on administrative leave pending investigation.

“Classroom teachers have a special obligation to ensure that classrooms are never used to grant preferential treatment based on personal political beliefs, nor to pressure students to adopt particular political or ideological views,” the school statement concluded.

The University of Oklahoma declined to comment further. Alvarez did not respond to a request for comment.

In late November, Kerth rated Volnicki, a junior at the school, a zero on the essay. The assignment was to read a scientific paper summarizing a study regarding gender norms among middle school students, and write a response.

Volnicki responded by supporting gender norms, citing the Bible. She said that God created men and women and that gender norms should not be considered “stereotypes.”

“community [is] “Pushing the lie that there are multiple races and that everyone should be who they want to be is diabolical and deeply harmful to American youth,” the article said. “I don’t want kids to be teased or bullied at school. However, pushing the lie that everyone has their own truth and that everyone can do what they want and be whoever they want, is not biblical at all.”

Student Samantha Volnicki at Oklahoma Memorial University, Monday, November 24, 2025. (Doug Houck/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagen Images)

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Kerth was upset by Volnicki’s article, and He gave her zero From 25.

The teaching assistant said the essay lacked empirical evidence, which was not a requirement in the rubric, which listed three criteria for grading.

“Does the paper show a clear connection to the assigned article?” It was the first criterion, worth 10 out of a total of 25 points for the task.

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“Does the paper provide a thoughtful reaction or response to the article, rather than a summary?” Second place was worth up to 10 points as well.

“Is the paper clearly written?” It is the last criterion, and its value reaches five points.

“Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs, but instead I am deducting a point [sic] “Because you publish a reaction paper that does not answer the questions of this assignment, contradicts itself, makes heavy use of personal ideology over empirical evidence in the science classroom, and is at times offensive,” Kurth’s response said.

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Student Samantha Volnicki, with her Bible, at Oklahoma Memorial Union, Monday, November 24, 2025. (Doug Houck/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagen Images)

“You may not personally agree with this, but that doesn’t change the fact that every major psychiatric, medical, pediatric, and psychiatry society in the United States recognizes that sex and gender, biologically and psychologically, are not binary or fixed,” Kerth continued.

Volnicki told Fox News Digital that she believed the grade was punitive.

““I was asked to read an article and give my opinion on the article, and the article was about gender binary and mental health and gender stereotypes, specifically in children, because it’s a lifelong developmental category,” Fulnicki, who was shocked by the zero score, told Fox News Digital. “So I was asked to give my opinion and reaction to the paper.”

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“I approached this assignment the same way I would do everyone else in this class, giving my opinion on binary gender stereotypes, and naturally my opinions were inspired by the Bible and my Christian worldview,” she said. “That’s what I wrote about and I didn’t think anything of it.”

Kurth is currently on administrative leave.