UPENN President Liz Magill Resign From Office!
We believe it is what is best for the University to move on!
UPenn President Faces Calls for Resignation
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Last month, an event named the Palestine Writes Literature Festival occurred on the UPenn campus, bringing to light the participation of speakers with documented antisemitic views. Although UPenn officials acknowledged this, their condemnation seemed general and did not specifically target the festival.
Prominent UPenn donors, spearheaded by billionaire Marc Rowan, contend that the University’s response to the festival and the subsequent antisemitic incidents, especially post the Hamas assault on Israel, was not sufficiently resolute.
Trying to manage the rising tide of discontent, UPenn President Liz Magill conceded on Sunday that the University’s handling of the matter was far from perfect. However, Jon Huntsman, a significant donor and former Utah governor, remained critical. In a letter he penned to Magill, which was later shared with the public by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Huntsman stated that the University’s muted response to Hamas’s actions was unacceptable, equating silence to antisemitism. He further announced that the Huntsman Foundation would cease all future donations to UPenn.
Huntsman’s letter lamented UPenn’s perceived moral decline, expressing that the University’s leadership’s apparent indifference compelled him to suspend contributions. The ripple effect of the controversy culminated in Vahan Gureghian, a trustee of UPenn, stepping down from his position, highlighting a growing antisemitism issue and negligence towards student welfare.
In a bid to assuage the growing discontent, President Magill admitted that the response to the festival was less than satisfactory and should have been more robust and more widely shared. Magill reiterated her stance against Hamas’s actions and reassured the Penn community of the University’s commitment to ensuring safety, especially in light of the sensitivities around the Jewish year’s sacred period.
Reaffirming this, Magill mentioned measures to bolster security around Jewish centers on campus and continual surveillance against potential threats. As a testament to Magill’s leadership, Scott Bok, the Chair of UPenn’s board of trustees, indicated that after several virtual discussions, a consensus emerged supporting President Magill and her team as the right individuals to navigate UPenn through these troubled times.
