Liberal Forum

Punch » 09 Dec 2023, 10:39 pm » wrote: ↑

09 Dec 2023, 10:39 pm

I will be watching these boards closely. I may be forced to call for the resignation of certain members if I deem their words hateful.

Penn president resigns amid backlash over congressional hearing comments (msn.com)

University of Pennsylvania president Elizabeth Magill has voluntarily resigned (on threat of being terminated - Punch) the school's board of trustees said on Saturday, following backlash over her response during a congressional hearing when asked how she said she would handle remarks in the university community calling for the "genocide of Jews."Magill's resignation as president comes days after she testified during a House Education Committee on how three university presidents have handled antisemitism on their campuses. Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth also testified.During Tuesday's hearing, Magill had a tense exchange with New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.Stefanik asked Magill to respond "yes or no" if calling for the "genocide of Jews" violated Penn's rules or code of conduct.Magill replied, "If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes."Stefanik followed up: "I am asking, specifically, calling for the genocide of Jews, does that constitute bullying or harassment?"Magill responded that it was a "context-dependent decision.""It's a context-dependent decision -- that's your testimony today?" Stefanik countered. "Calling for the genocide of Jews is depending upon the context?"
Hours after the hearing, amid bipartisan backlash, including from prominent Democrats, Magill apologized for her response in a video posted on the university's website."I was not focused on, but I should have been, the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate. It's evil -- plain and simple," Magill said in the video.In a reversal, using direct language, Magill said that type of language is "harassment or intimidation."
 A petition on Change.org demanding Magill's resignation had more than 26,000 signatures as of Saturday afternoon.The Republican-led House Education Committee announced Thursday that it is opening an investigation into the policies and disciplinary procedures at Penn, Harvard and MIT after finding testimony from three presidents "absolutely unacceptable."