A sophomore at the University of Cincinnati claims that her professor gave her a zero on a college project for using the term “biological women.”
Olivia Krolczyk, 20, said her professor for Women’s Gender Studies in Pop Culture class failed her for using the “exclusionary” term despite admitting that she submitted a “solid proposal,” the student told The Post.
The course instructed students to pick a topic related to feminism, with Krolczyk choosing to research the changes female athletes have experienced throughout history and the rights and opportunities they have been awarded and fought for in athletics.
Her project discussed things like the first woman to compete in the Olympic games to the fight female athletes like Riley Gaines are making for proposed to Title IX.
The chemistry major said her project ended by sharing how “these rights and opportunities are being threatened by allowing men to compete in women’s sports.”
Krolczyk, who hasn’t identified the professor for fear she may be subjected to online harassment, first made the claim in a now-viral TikTok, which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times.
The clip shares an apparent photo of the zero grade and the professor’s comment, which reads, “Olivia, this is a solid proposal. However, the terms ‘biological women’ are exclusionary and are not allowed in this course as they further reinforce heteronormativity.”
“The final grade is based on the very few assignments we have, adding up to 200 total points. All grades relating to this specific project add up to 100 points, which is half of my grade,” Krolczyk told The Post.
“The project in general was very broad and the students had a lot of freedom to pick a topic.”
The undergrad student — who competed in cross country and track throughout high school and the beginning of her college career before transferring to the University of Cincinnati — said she followed the professor’s instructions to a tee, including using three sources from the class and formatting the paper to the teacher’s requirements.
“The directions for the assignment in which I received a zero on specifically state, ‘This exercise is developmental. Thoughtful proposals submitted on time will receive full credit.’ I turned in my assignment on time and I can guarantee 100% that my proposal was extremely thoughtful,” she insisted.
Krolczyk also said she had contacted the university’s Gender Equality office, which told her they would have a different professor review and grade her work — but she is yet to see her grade change nearly two weeks later.
The student also claims this was not the first time she’s run into issues with this professor.
Krolczyk said she was rebuked when she pushed back during a class discussion and argued that generalizing all white men as having privilege is “not fair.”
“She commented that something along the lines of it being necessary and important to recognize privilege and oppression. I was docked on my grade,” the student alleged.
The University of Cincinnati’s said the matter is being reviewed through their established policies and processes.
The Post has reached out to the professor for comment.
Krolczyk said she decided to speak out because she feels “the issue is not being taken seriously” by the university.
“Standing up for free speech in education is more important. If we as a student body take action instead of conforming to the professor’s ideology, we can hopefully start changing our universities back to a place where stating simple biology isn’t punished and conflicting opinions are encouraged,” she told The Post.
The Ohio native also claims hundreds of other students across the nation have contacted her about similar occurrences since she shared her video on TikTok.
“I can confidently say within my university and many across the country, dissenting opinions are frowned upon and the views of the professors are affecting their abilities to teach,” she proclaimed.
“Regardless of what the course is, and what the assignment is, a professor assigning a zero on something that was turned in on time and is of high academic value is extreme.”
Krolczkyk said political ideologies being injected into universities is turning young Americans off wanting to go.
“There are more and more people avoiding college, or finding the cheapest possible options simply because universities are losing their respect as educators and are building the reputation as indoctrinators of ‘wokeness,’” she said.
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