UPenn President Liz Magill Resigns Amid Antisemitism Row

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has resigned following a controversy over her response to antisemitism on campus, the Ivy League school announced.

Magill, along with Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, faced criticism after a congressional hearing on the rise of antisemitism on college campuses.

The scrutiny intensified following their responses to questions about violations of school conduct codes concerning antisemitism.

Leadership Changes at UPenn

Scott Bok, chair of the university’s board of trustees, stated, “I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania.”

Magill will remain at the university as a tenured faculty member in the law school. Bok also announced his resignation.

In the wake of the hearing, calls for the resignations of Magill and Gay grew. Magill released a video expressing regret, and Gay issued an apology. Representative Elise Stefanik commented,

“One down. Two to go. This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America.”

One down.
Two to go.

This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most “prestigious” higher education institutions in America.

This forced resignation of the president of @Penn is the bare minimum of what is required.…

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) December 9, 2023

Rising Antisemitism and Islamophobia

The controversy emerges amidst a sharp rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in the United States and globally.

The Anti-Defamation League reported a 400% increase in antisemitic incidents following an attack by Hamas on Israel. Similarly, the Council on American-Islamic Relations noted a significant rise in Islamophobia.

University of Pennsylvania student Eyal Yakoby, involved in a lawsuit alleging the school’s insufficient response to antisemitism, stated on CNN,

“This is just the first domino in a culture for many leaders including Chairman Bok who have allowed this to happen.”

With information from Reuters.