US: University of Pennsylvania president resigns amid antisemitism controversy
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) President M Elizabeth Magill resigned from her post on Saturday (local time) amid intense criticism for appearing to dodge a question on campus antisemitism. However, UPenn Board of Trustees Chairperson Scott L Bok said in an email, "She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law." This came four days after she allegedly evaded a question on whether calls for the genocide of Jews constituted harassment per the university's rules during a congressional hearing.
Why does this story matter?
Magill and her counterparts, Harvard's Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s Sally Kornbluth, were called before Congress to address ongoing antisemitism on their campuses. Protests and tensions have roiled top college campuses in the United States (US) since the October 7 start of the ongoing war between the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and Israel. Donors, students, and alums have also criticized the leadership at UPenn, Harvard, and other colleges over several on-campus antisemitic incidents.
Bok tenders resignation after Magill
Shortly after Bok announced Magill's resignation, he confirmed that he was also stepping down from his post amid the ongoing row. As per a statement from Bok published by the Daily Pennsylvanian student newspaper, he said, "I concluded that, for me, now was the right time to depart." Furthermore, a university spokesperson later confirmed Bok's resignation. To recall, Magill's response invited condemnation from the White House, university donors, and some faculty members and students too.
Origin of controversy surrounding Magill
The controversy was triggered after Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik pushed Magill to clarify whether students calling for the genocide of Jews would receive punishment under the university's norms. Stefanik appeared to conflate calls for an intifada—an Arabic term for uprising used to define both violent and peaceful protests against Israel's occupation of Palestine—with hypothetical calls for genocide, reported The Guardian. While Magill stated disciplinary action would depend on the context, Stefanik demanded a "yes" or "no" answer, which she didn't.
Evil, plain, simple: Magill's response to controversy
Amid the row, Magill shared an X video on Wednesday to elaborate on her answer and condemned calls for the genocide of Jewish people in more unequivocal words. "I was not focused on, but I should have been (during the congressional hearing), the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate," stated Magill. "It's evil, plain and simple," she added in the two-minute-long video.
Stefanik reacts to Magill resigning as Pennsylvania president
Reacting to Magill's resignation, Stefanik said on Saturday that her "forced resignation" is the "bare minimum of what is required" and suggested MIT and Harvard to follow suit. "One down. Two to go," Stefanik tweeted. She also stated, "This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most 'prestigious' higher education institutions in America."
Check out Stefanik's tweet on Magill's resignation
White House official condemned Magill's testimony
Amid the uproar over Magill's testimony, White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates earlier stated, "It's unbelievable that this needs to be said: calls for genocide are monstrous and antithetical to everything we represent as a country." In the wake of the controversy, UPenn lost a $100 million grant, with Stone Ridge Asset Management founder and CEO Ross Stevens withdrawing his donation. His legal representatives claimed the university breached the company's limited partner agreement.
