Elizabeth Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, has resigned following backlash over her testimony at a congressional hearing on rising anti-Semitism on campuses. The controversy arose when Magill failed to explicitly state that calling for genocide against Jews would violate the school’s code of conduct. The resignation came after pressure from donors and politicians on both sides of the aisle.
Magill, along with Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, faced heavy criticism after appearing before a US House of Representatives committee to discuss the issue of anti-Semitism on university campuses. When asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews would breach university policy on bullying and harassment, the three university heads declined to give a clear answer, citing the importance of free expression and the context of the speech.
The lack of a definitive response from Magill and her counterparts sparked outrage and calls for their resignations. Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, deemed Magill’s comments “absolutely shameful.” In response to the backlash, Magill released a video expressing regret for allowing free speech concerns to overshadow other considerations, and stated that she would consider a call for genocide as harassment or intimidation.
Magill’s resignation was announced by Scott Bok, chair of the university’s board of trustees, who described her actions as a “very unfortunate misstep” and acknowledged that she was not herself during her appearance before Congress. Bok also announced his own resignation, stating that Magill would remain a tenured faculty member at the university’s law school until an interim president is appointed.
The controversy surrounding Magill’s testimony comes at a time when US universities are facing criticism for not adequately addressing rising anti-Semitism on their campuses. The recent war in Gaza has seen a significant rise in hate crimes against both Jews and Muslims in the US, according to law enforcement officials. The Anti-Defamation League reported a 400 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the two weeks following Hamas’s attacks on Israel. Additionally, reports of bias motivated by anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, or anti-Arab sentiment rose by 172 percent in the two months following the attacks.
The resignation of Elizabeth Magill highlights the ongoing challenges faced by universities in addressing anti-Semitism and the importance of clear and decisive action in combating hate speech on campus. The incident serves as a reminder of the need for strong leadership and a commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, regardless of their religious or ethnic background.
