UPenn President Liz Magill resigns in wake of antisemitism mishandling
December 9, 2023
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has announced she will step down as president of the university, according to a report from NBC News.
The resignation came Saturday, following widespread criticism — including from the White House — following her testimony in a congressional hearing in which she “appeared to dodge a question… on campus antisemitism,” the report said. NBC continued:
“In their testimonies, the three university leaders each condemned antisemitism. The outcry centered on a contentious exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who asked whether ‘calling for the genocide of Jews’ would violate each school’s code of conduct.
Instead of directly replying to Stefanik’s yes-or-no question, Magill said that decision would be ‘context-dependent.’
‘If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment,’ she said.”
Accuracy in Media was part of the push for her resignation. In response to the hearing, AIM sent a mobile billboard to her home, letting her know that her refusal to protect Jewish students at Penn was not going unnoticed.
Before that, AIM led the push to hold Magill accountable for failing to condemn antisemitism at UPenn. The university held an event called Palestine Writes Literature Festival, which hosted speakers “with a history of making antisemitic remarks.” The event led to “overwhelming backlash from donors many of whom are pulling their funds and calling on [Magill] to resign,” CNN reported at the time.
In response to the congressional hearing, more than 70 lawmakers demanded Magill’s removal, along with the removal of the presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, according to Reuters. Accuracy in Media has also taken action against those university presidents.
Join us in taking action and demanding accountability: You can contact members of the boards of trustees at these universities using the links below. Demand they do better or resign.