UPenn President: 4 Critical Events Leading to Liz Magill’s Resignation as President
Liz Magill’s once-promising tenure as the 27th leader of the University of Pennsylvania ended abruptly in disgrace after facing a series of challenges. Here are the key moments that ultimately led to her resignation:
- Palestine Writes Literary Festival (September): Magill’s troubles began with the Palestine Writes Literature Festival held on campus. Despite not being a student-led event, the festival sparked controversy due to concerns about the guest list. High-profile donors and the Anti-Defamation League criticized the festival for inviting speakers with a history of making antisemitic statements. Magill faced backlash for not taking a stronger stance against the controversial speakers.
- Hamas’ Attack on Israel (October): Following an attack by Hamas on Israel, donors, including influential figures like Marc Rowan, turned against Magill and demanded her resignation. The issue was not Penn hosting the festival but Magill’s perceived failure to condemn it forcefully. Despite Magill’s efforts to distance the university from the festival and condemn the speakers’ views, donors remained dissatisfied, intensifying their calls for her resignation.
- Rising Antisemitism on Campus (October-November): As tensions escalated over the conflict, antisemitic incidents surged on campus. Magill’s attempts to address the issue and condemn hateful speech were deemed insufficient. The university faced investigations into antisemitic emails, threats, and messages targeting the Jewish community. Magill’s actions to combat antisemitism, including an action plan announced on November 1, did little to quell the donors’ dissatisfaction.
- Testimony on Capitol Hill (December 5): Magill, along with other university presidents, testified on rising antisemitism on campuses before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Magill faced criticism for her responses to questions about whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the university’s code of conduct. Widespread dissatisfaction followed, with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro calling Magill’s statements “unacceptable” and donors threatening significant financial consequences for the university.
UPenn President: Amid escalating pressure, an emergency board meeting was held, resulting in both Magill and Board Chair Scott Bok resigning on Saturday evening. The culmination of these events marked the end of Magill’s leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Source thedailycourierng news