Student who lost father to coronavirus told she won’t get homework extension

To make matters worse, the business student at the University of Maryland had assignments due. She told her professors what was happening before her father died, and was able to keep up with her studies.

But when her father died, she asked one professor for an extension on a project that was due the day of his funeral, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The response shocked Kratenstein.

She says the professor, whom she did not name, told her “try to get it done,” and “I’d like to be consistent with all students because there are many who are having difficult times.”

The class was a lecture with 300 students, WUSA reported.

The day after her father’s funeral, the professor sent Kratenstein a message that read she “would highly recommend that you attend and participate” in online classes and that the classes could “help take your mind off things and this material will be on exam 3.”

NBC News reached out to the professor but did not receive a response.

University of Maryland officials are looking into Kratenstein's claim and said an email was sent in late March to the faculty telling them to "be empathetic to the students' circumstances. Please make accommodation and be flexible as necessitated by the needs of your students," WUSA reported.

Interim Dean Ritu Agarwal also sent a response in light of Kratenstein’s situation.

WUSA reported Agarwal message said, "We want to assure you that we are working to address the student's concerns and to ensure that appropriate and compassionate accommodations are made."

The school also posted a statement to Twitter.

Kratenstein said her other professors understood her situation and told her to not worry about the remainder of the year, telling her they would exempt her from the work, NBC News reported.