The University of Oklahoma removed a graduate teaching assistant after an investigation found the instructor acted arbitrarily in assigning a zero to a student who cited the Bible in an essay on gender. The university said the assignment will not be counted and announced the instructor’s dismissal following the probe. - The case became a flashpoint for debates over academic freedom, grading standards, and campus speech after conservative groups amplified the student’s complaint. Oklahoma’s governor described the situation as "deeply concerning," and the episode intersects with state restrictions on DEI spending enacted earlier in the year. - The university emphasized protections for both academic freedom and students’ rights to fair evaluation; the fired instructor has signaled potential legal avenues and denied discriminatory intent. The controversy is likely to prompt additional review of grading rubrics and instructor training across campuses nationwide.