An unnamed student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California is fighting back against her theological studies teacher, Professor Cecilia Gonzalez-Andrieu, after the latter deducted points from the student's exam, wherein the pupil used "male-gendered language for God repeatedly."
"Your comment that I referred to God as a male, I should not have gotten any points off for that. MULTIPLE times throughout the Bible, God is referred to as a 'he,'" the student argued in an email to Gonzalez-Andrieu, as reported by The College Fix. "I feel targeted by your comment, as I was raised in the church with the belief that God is a male."
The professor was not one to back down, however. Gonzalez-Andrieu wrote back to the student and recommended that the pupil "have a conversation with other scholars...to highlight and support the reasons for your choices regarding multiple questions." The professor asked the Catholic university student to resubmit the paper and "add a footnote stating your reasons as a scholar to opt to preserve male language for God."
According to Faithwire, a spokesperson for the California College Republicans, a coalition which the unnamed student is a participant, said that Gonzalez-Andrieu updated the student's grade following a resubmission of the paper with the requested defense in the footnotes. The spokesperson argued, however, that the Catholic university student "should have never been put in that situation."
The California College Republicans spokesperson remarked that they were "appalled by this blatant heresy coming out of the theology department," which they also called a "personal attack" on the student's "freedom of religion."
This is not the first time Loyola Marymount University was embroiled in controversy over the use of pronouns. Back in November, Fox News reported that a yoga studies professor at the same school allegedly warned students that he would deduct points from his students' grades if they don't include gender pronouns in their blog posts.
Professor Christopher Miller demanded of his students to "include their pronouns next to their name in their blog posts." He warned, "I will count this toward your grade when I check for your name each time I grade the blogs."
In his email to students, Miller included a link to an article titled "What are Personal Pronouns and Why Do They Matter?" The article stated that using someone's correct personal pronouns was a "way to respect them and create an inclusive environment." The article compared using wrong personal pronouns with making up a nickname against someone's will, which is "offensive or harassing." It also explained how ignoring one's wishes to be called by their personal pronouns is an "oppressive notion that intersex, transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people do not or should not exist."
Back in January 2021, even the U.S. Senate introduced a new code of conduct that includes diversity and inclusion measures to promote LGBT rights through language, The Hill reported.
