UPenn loses $100m donation amid controversy over university presidents' testimony
What's the story
The University of Pennsylvania or UPenn lost a $100 million grant after the university's president Elizabeth Magill's testimony before the US Congress regarding antisemitism on campus sparked controversy.
The donation was made and withdrawn by Ross Stevens, the founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management.
He said he was "appalled" by Magill avoiding questions on punishment for students in a hypothetical situation where they call for the genocide of Jews.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Presidents of Harvard, UPenn, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are facing criticism after their vague responses during a congressional hearing "Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism" called by Republicans.
Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have reportedly increased in the United States (US) and other countries amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The war started on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. So far, Israel has killed over 16,000 Palestinians.
Hearing
How did the controversy erupt?
During the hearing, Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik pushed Magill to clarify whether students calling for the genocide of Jews would be punished under the university's norms.
She appeared to conflate calls for an intifada—an Arabic word for uprising used to describe both peaceful and violent protests against the Israeli occupation of Palestine—with hypothetical calls for genocide, The Guardian reported.
While Magill said disciplinary action would depend on the context, Stefanik pressed her to answer "yes" or "no," which she didn't.
Details
White House officials condemn university presidents' testimony
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said, "It's unbelievable that this needs to be said: calls for genocide are monstrous and antithetical to everything we represent as a country."
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said the response should have been, "Yes, that violates our policy." Jewish leaders and officials also condemned the university presidents' approach.
A petition demanding Magill's resignation has gained thousands of signatures, and UPenn's board of trustees held an emergency meeting to address the controversy.
What Next?
Republican presidential candidates reprise criticism of 'woke' universities
Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe, a liberal who rarely agrees with Stefanik, sided with her on this issue.
He found Harvard president Claudine Gay's "hesitant, formulaic, and bizarrely evasive answers" deeply troubling.
Republican presidential candidates also seized the opportunity to further their criticism of the country's elite institutions as too liberal and "woke."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the college presidents' lack of moral clarity reflects the liberal orthodoxy in higher education.
Insights
House committee opens investigation into universities, presidents issue apology
The Republican-led House committee on education and the workforce has launched an investigation into Harvard, UPenn, and MIT for not adequately addressing antisemitism on campus.
Axios reported that the university's Wharton Business School board has called for Magill to resign in a letter.
Responding to the criticism, Gay said that those who threaten Jewish students will be held accountable.
Magill released an apology video clarifying that a call for genocide of Jews would be considered harassment or intimidation.