BREAKING: Penn President Resigns Over Bipartisan Outrage To Her Anti-Semitism Hearing Testimony
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University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill resigned Saturday amid the bipartisan backlash and calls for her removal over comments she gave to Congress at a hearing on rising anti-Semitism on college campuses.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce grilled Magill and other university heads at the “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable And Confronting Antisemitism” hearing on December 5, and the testimony provided by Magill and Harvard president Dr. Claudine Gay drew massive criticism from both sides of the aisle, including the White House, and in public comments from pundits and social media users all week. The White House
On Saturday, as the fallout continued, Magill resigned from her post. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on her comments and the statement from Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok, which was also shared on X.
“It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution,” Bok quotes Magill saying in her resignation. “It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn’s vital missions.”
“Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania.” pic.twitter.com/W383BSokLk
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) December 9, 2023
During the hearing, when asked whether publicly calling for the genocide of Jewish people would violate the school’s rules of conduct, Magill said it would be “context-dependent decision.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, tore into Magill over her responses when he spoke to Jewish Insider in an article published the day after the hearing.
“Leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity, and Liz Magill failed to meet that simple test. That was an unacceptable statement from the president of Penn. Frankly, I thought her comments were absolutely shameful. It should not be hard to condemn genocide,” he said.
The House committee that conducted the hearing announced an investigation into Penn’s policies following the testimony on Tuesday.
Chair of the Committee Rep. Virginia Foxx issued a statement moments after Magill’s resignation was made public.
“Three chances. President Magill had three chances to set the record straight when asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violated UPenn’s code of conduct during our hearing on antisemitism. Instead of giving a resounding yes to the question, she chose to equivocate. What’s more shocking is that it took her more than 24 hours to clarify her comments, and even that clarification failed to include an apology to the Jewish students who do not feel safe on campus. I welcome her departure from UPenn.”
Magill was already facing pressure over charges of anti-Semitism and other controversies related to Israel and Palestine on campus prior to the October 7 terror attack by Hamas.
