University of Oklahoma Essay Controversy: Professor 'Review-Bombed', Netizens Smell a Set-up

The online fallout from the University of Oklahoma's viral 'zero-grade' essay has taken on a new dimension. What began as a dispute over one student's failed paper has now drawn in the credibility of Rate My Professors (RMP).

Graduate instructor Mel Curth, who was placed on administrative leave after failing a student's essay, saw an extraordinary spike in reviews. All appeared within a 24-hour window and many of them contradicting each other, fuelling suspicions of manipulation and targeted attacks.

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An Online Uproar of Opinions

As the University of Oklahoma investigates Curth following the viral essay, suspicious one-day bursts of RMP reviews have triggered claims of a coordinated campaign.

Posts across X raised concern that the sudden influx of ratings was not organic. One user wrote: 'Crazy how many students decided to review the University of Oklahoma professor today'

Another pointed out: 'Notice these all dropped yesterday and that none of them agree on whether attendance is mandatory or not. These "students" didn't take that class guys'.

A different user highlighted the mutually incompatible comments: 'I love that these reviews are mutually contradictory on attendance and textbook policy for the same class with the same professor posted on the same day: 200% authentic.'

The criticism intensified after several commenters openly suggested a campaign against Curth was underway. 'It's wild how this whole situation was planned and obviously the entire purpose of this is to get a trans woman ousted from academia' one user argued.

RMP has since locked the page for Curth.

Rate My Professors Clarifies Its Verification Limits

While RMP states that contributors must certify that they are current or former students, the platform acknowledges it cannot fully verify identities. Its official guidance stresses that it is 'unable to fully confirm our users' identities, the truthfulness of their contributions, or their student or class enrollment status'.

The site also outlines strict rules: reviews must come from people who have taken the class, cannot include harassment or personal comments, and dogpiling is strictly prohibited. Moderators examine every submission, and RMP warns it may lock profiles or remove clusters of suspicious reviews.

The platform's policy aligns with what many X users are now calling for. One post, receiving significant engagement, urged: 'Rate My Professor needs to pause reviews on her and delete any that were made in the past week... none of these people actually took her for a class.'

By Monday, RMP had in fact frozen Curth's page, preventing further posts.

Colleagues and Community Rally Behind Curth

As the review storm intensified, academics and local advocates stepped in to publicly support Curth. The University of Oklahoma's own Psychology Department recently celebrated Curth's recognition as the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award recipient:

The award highlights 'exceptional teaching skill, dedication to student growth, and innovation in the classroom'.

An assistant professor in Canada, wrote: 'Mel Curth, just weeks after winning a graduate teaching award, was placed on administrative leave for doing their job. She did absolutely nothing wrong in this scenario... this is just another Tuesday in academia. The difference? I'm not trans.'

Another added: 'Oklahomans stand with Mel Curth! Academic integrity matters.'

Their comments echo a growing concern that an academic misconduct case has spiralled into a targeted political attack, particularly given the student's family background and the broader tensions surrounding trans educators in Oklahoma.

Whether the university ultimately reinstates Curth, the RMP saga has intensified questions about digital review manipulation — and how easily an academic's reputation can be reshaped by people who may never have set foot in their classroom.