A University student received a failing grade on an assignment for using the term "biological female."
A video, which went viral and amassed nearly 2 million views, was shared by university student Olivia Krolczyk through her TikTok account.
The student revealed she received a “0” on a project proposal in her class for using the term "biological women," saying it was "apparently not allowed anymore."
Krolczyk told Timcast News her final grade is based on a handful of assignments adding up to a total of 200 total points.
"All grades relating to this specific project add up to 100 points, which is half my grade," she said.
Krolczyk said the assignment was "broad" as students were allowed freedom to choose a topic relating to feminism using at least three sources from class to support their work.
The directions for her project specifically noted the assignment was "developmental," and "thoughtful proposals submitted on time will receive full credit," according to Krolczyk.
"I turned in my assignment on time and I can guarantee 100% that my proposal was extremely thoughtful," Krolczyk said, adding she chose to write her project on changes throughout history regarding the rights and opportunities afforded to women in athletics.
"I intended to share the first women that competed in the Olympics, the movement fighting for Title IX, multiple female athletes that are well known today such as Riley Gaines, and then end the project by sharing how these rights and opportunities are being taken away by allowing men to compete in women's sports," she said.
Krolczyk said she spoke with one woman in the Gender Equality office at her university who was able to give Olivia an extension on her project under the original proposal, though graded by a different professor, according to another TikTok video. However, the woman couldn't assist her regarding her professor reportedly violating policy.
The student was subsequently directed to another office at the university though has yet to be contacted back.
"At the moment it seems like the issue is not being taken seriously, as the earliest anyone will meet with me is during the week of June 5th," she said.
The student continued:I feel it is a pressing issue as the teacher is violating multiple policies that the school has in place. Regardless of what the course is, and what the assignment is, a professor assigning a "0" on something that was turned in on time and is of high academic value, is extreme. This is a clear representation of her political and personal agenda and is an exertion of abuse with her position of power as my professor.
"I used the term ‘biological’ to clarify that I was talking about real women, females," she added. "Somehow my usage of ‘biological’ is being seen as transphobic by multiple people on social media."
"The fact that I have to preface the ‘kind of women’ that I'm talking about represents the unfortunate reality and confusion we face in today's education system.”
In Krolczyk's viral video, she informed viewers of her grade on the assignment by providing a picture of her professor's feedback, which noted her work was a "solid proposal."
"However, the terms ‘biological woman’ are exclusionary and not allowed in this course as they further reinforce heteronormativity," the professor's comment continued.
"How am I supposed to do my final project if I can't use the word 'biological women,' but that's what my project is about?" Krolczyk concluded in the video.
The student released a follow up video addressing the original viral video providing additional communication between herself and the professor.
"You are correct in some of your reasoning," reads a longer response from her professor.
"However, sex as a binary category is also socially and culturally created and the binary reasoning that you use does contribute to heteronormativity and transphobia," the professor continued. "Not to mention the erasure of the intersex community."
The professor concluded her email by offering to provide resources for Olivia to research on the topic.
Krolczyk provided a screenshot of her response refuting the professor's claims of transphobia.
"You say sex is a binary category as it is socially constructed," Krolczyk wrote. "However, sex refers to biological reality and focuses on the biological makeup of a person."
"It is not transphobic to recognize someone's biological and genetic makeup of the body."
The professor responded to Olivia's rebuttal "days later," noting the definition the student provided for "sex" was "socially constructed."
"It is constructed by Western understandings of science that posit a ‘female’ has XX chromosomes and a ‘male’ has XY," the professor continued. "However, this is scientifically untrue as evinced by the intersex community and by other scientific models and lived human experiences in the world."
Krolczyk concluded the video: "Apparently science is fake. That is new to me. I did not know that."
She concluded: "Our universities really do have some high quality educators today."
