University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has stepped down from her position in the wake of criticism surrounding her handling of antisemitism on campus.
This decision follows her testimony before a congressional hearing on the rise of antisemitism in universities after the Israel-Hamas conflict in October, reported Reuters.
Magill, along with Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, faced backlash for their responses during the congressional hearing.
They were criticised for not providing a clear answer regarding whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their schools’ codes of conduct.
Subsequent to the testimony, calls for Magill’s resignation, along with Gay’s, intensified. Magill expressed regret in a video statement, while Gay issued an apology on Friday (Dec 8).
The controversy revolves around allegations that the universities tolerated antisemitism, especially in statements made by pro-Palestinian demonstrators following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Impact on Jewish community
Jewish students, families, and alumni accused the universities of tolerating antisemitism, pointing to incidents since the outbreak of the conflict.
The attack by Hamas on Israel triggered a significant increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States, as reported by the Anti-Defamation League.
Magill’s resignation is effective immediately, and she has agreed to stay on until an interim president is appointed. Scott Bok, chair of the university’s board of trustees, also stepped down.
“I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania,” Bok said in the announcement released by the university.
Magill will retain her position as a tenured faculty member at the university’s law school.
Commenting on the resignation, Representative Elise Stefanik called it the “bare minimum” and urged Harvard and MIT to take similar actions.
Also watch | Harvard, Penn, MIT heads face Congress over campus Antisemitism
University of Pennsylvania student Eyal Yakoby, who has filed a lawsuit against the school for an insufficient response to antisemitism, sees Magill’s resignation as a step toward a broader cultural change at the university.
“This has been something that myself and many alumni and fellow students, parents been working on for a while … (but) this is just the first domino in a culture for many leaders including Chairman Bok who have allowed this to happen,” Yakoby told Reuters.
(With inputs from agencies)
