FOX News contributor Ari Fleischer joins ‘America Reports’ to discuss the backlash facing University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill after she and two others failed to condemn calls for the genocide of Jewish people on campus. University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill’s job is increasingly at risk as university donors, lawmakers in both parties, alumni, and Jewish groups have piled on criticism after her disastrous congressional testimony on antisemitism this week.
The Penn Board of Trustees will hold a meeting on Sunday at 5 p.m., the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, where Magill’s future with the school may be decided. The question facing the board is whether Magill can continue to effectively fundraise and lead the university after the backlash against her handling of antisemitism at the school since the October 7 attack on Israel. Pressure is building on Magill to resign after she declined to outright state that calls for the genocide of Jewish people constitute bullying or harassment under UPenn’s code of conduct during a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
Magill, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, was summoned to Capitol Hill to give testimony about rising antisemitism on their campuses before the House Education and Workforce Committee. At the hearing, Magill told Congress that if calls for Jewish genocide were to turn into conduct, they would be considered harassment, adding that it was a “context-dependent” situation that would constitute bullying and harassment if “directed,” “pervasive,” and “severe.” Gay and Kornbluth gave similar indirect answers that sparked widespread public outrage and have led to calls for each university president to resign.
Magill in particular has received scathing condemnation from Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, the board of the Wharton School of Business, and prominent donors, including an alumnus who threatened to rescind a $100 million donation to the school unless there is a change in leadership. In a video statement posted Wednesday on X, Magill attempted to walk back her congressional testimony, acknowledging her mistake and stating that a call for the genocide of Jewish people is “evil” and “plain and simple.” However, her clarification has not satisfied her detractors.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who is Jewish, said Wednesday that her comments were “unacceptable” and that the school was under “failed leadership.” The board of Penn’s Wharton business school demanded Magill’s resignation on Wednesday, citing her remarks and “collective failure to act” in response to anti-Israel and antisemitic protests on Penn’s campus. Ross Stevens, founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management, threatened to pull a $100 million donation to the school, stating that it violated the limited partnership agreement through its failure to adhere to anti-discrimination and anti-harassment rules.
The UPenn Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting, where some board members reportedly asked Magill to resign if she cannot effectively function in her role as the university’s president. Additionally, more than 70 House lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter to the governing boards of UPenn, Harvard, and MIT, calling for the removal of the respective presidents of each institution. The letter states that there is no context in which calls for the genocide of Jews are acceptable rhetoric and criticizes the presidents for their failure to unequivocally condemn such calls.
While Magill appears to be losing support from the Penn board, the governing board of MIT is standing behind President Sally Kornbluth with “full and unreserved support.” Harvard President Claudine Gay addressed the backlash against her remarks, apologizing for what she had said and expressing regret for amplifying distress and pain.
In the midst of this controversy, Stanford University issued a statement unequivocally condemning calls for Jewish genocide, emphasizing that such a statement would violate the university’s code of conduct for all students.
Overall, the University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill is facing significant backlash and potential resignation over her handling of antisemitism on campus. Criticism has come from university donors, lawmakers, alumni, and Jewish groups, and pressure is mounting for Magill to step down. The Penn Board of Trustees will hold a meeting to discuss her future with the school, which may be decided based on her ability to fundraise and lead effectively.
