University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has voluntarily resigned from her position following intense scrutiny after a House Education committee hearing. The hearing, which also included Harvard and MIT presidents, focused on their response to antisemitism on their campuses.
During the hearing, Magill faced criticism for evading a question about calls for “the genocide of Jews” by pro-Palestinian student protestors. Lawmakers, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, expressed dissatisfaction with the presidents’ responses, leading to calls for their dismissal.
Magill’s resignation makes her the first president to step down over a response to campus antisemitism. Lawmakers, including Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. John Fetterman, criticized Magill’s comments, with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro calling it a “failure of leadership.”
The Wharton Board of Advisors and the Board of Trustees have both called for new university leadership, and over 70 lawmakers urged the removal of presidents from Harvard, MIT, and Penn. Magill, who apologized in a video statement, will stay on as a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law until an interim president is selected.
House Education and the Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx welcomed Magill’s resignation, emphasizing Magill’s missed opportunities to address concerns during the hearing. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who led the questioning, sees Magill’s resignation as just the beginning in addressing antisemitism on college campuses.
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