University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned amid pressure from donors and criticism over her testimony at a congressional hearing, where she was unable to say, under repeated questioning, that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would worsen the problem.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The president of the University of Pennsylvania has resigned amid donor pressure and criticism over her testimony at a congressional hearing in which she was unable to say under repeated questioning that campus calls for the genocide of Jews would violate the university’s conduct policy.
The school announced the departure of Liz Magill, in her second year as president of the Ivy League school, late Saturday afternoon. Magill will remain a tenured member of the faculty at the university’s Carey Law School, the statement said. She has agreed to continue serving as Penn’s leader until the university appoints an interim president.
Calls for Magill’s resignation exploded after her testimony on Tuesday before a US House of Representatives committee on campus anti-Semitism, where she appeared with the presidents of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Universities across the United States have been accused of failing to protect Jewish students amid growing concerns of anti-Semitism around the world and the fallout from Israel’s intensifying war on Gaza, which faces increasing criticism over the rising Palestinian death toll.
The three presidents were summoned before the committee to respond to these accusations. But their legal answers sparked renewed blowback from opponents, which focused in particular on a series of questions from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who repeatedly asked whether “advocating the genocide of Jews” violates the Pennsylvania Code of Conduct.
“If the rhetoric turns into behavior, it could constitute harassment, yes,” Magill said. Pressed further, Magill told Stefanik: “It’s a context-dependent decision, Congresswoman.”
Criticism came from the White House, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, members of Congress, and donors. One donor, Ross Stevens, threatened to withdraw a $100 million gift because of the university’s “stance on anti-Semitism on campus” unless Magill was replaced.
A day later, Magill addressed the criticism, saying in a video that she would consider calling for the genocide of Jewish people tantamount to harassment or intimidation and that Penn’s policies needed to be “clarified and evaluated.”
Magill came under fire from some donors and alumni this fall over the university’s handling of several acts of anti-Semitism.
This included allowing a Palestinian literary arts festival to be held on its campus in September featuring speakers whose past statements about Israel have drawn accusations of anti-Semitism.
Magill, a 57-year-old former law clerk to the U.S. Supreme Court, is the daughter of a retired federal judge and was dean of Stanford Law School and a senior administrative officer at the University of Virginia before Penn named her its ninth president last year.
Earlier Saturday, New York’s governor called on the state’s colleges and universities to quickly address instances of anti-Semitism and what she described as any “calls for genocide” on campus.
In a letter to college and university presidents, Gov. Kathy Hochul said her administration would enforce violations of state human rights law and refer any violations of federal civil rights law to U.S. officials.
Hochul said she spoke to chancellors for the public college systems of the State University of New York and the City University of New York who she said confirmed “that advocating the genocide of any group” or tolerating anti-Semitism violates their campus codes of conduct “and will result in prompt disciplinary action.”
The governor’s letter does not address any specific incidents. Her office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
A popular chant at pro-Palestinian rallies in Pennsylvania and other universities has been falsely misrepresented in recent months as claiming to call for “the genocide of the Jews.”
Experts and advocates say the chant, “Israel, we accuse you of genocide,” is a typical phrase heard at pro-Palestinian rallies. Jewish and Palestinian supporters acknowledge that the protesters are not saying “We want the genocide of the Jews.”
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Associated Press writers Bruce Shepkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, and Phil Marcello in New York contributed to this report.
The recent resignation of Liz Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, has sent shockwaves through the academic community. Magill’s decision to step down comes in the wake of backlash stemming from testimony regarding her alleged mishandling of anti-Semitism on campus. The news has ignited a larger conversation about the university’s handling of discrimination and bias, and has raised concerns about the state of inclusivity and diversity within the institution. As the search for a new president begins, the future of the University of Pennsylvania hangs in the balance.