PA congress members call for termination of UPenn President Liz Magill amid backlash
Washington, DC - December 5 : University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing on holding campus leaders accountable and confronting antisemitism on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Dec. 05, 2
PHILADELPHIA - Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) is leading the call for the termination of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill amid the uproar following her recent testimony on antisemitism that occurred on the university's campus.
In a statement released Thursday evening, Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), alongside Congressmen John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Dan Meuser (R-PA), called on the Chair of the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees to relieve Liz Magill of her duties as President of the University of Pennsylvania following her hearing at Capitol Hill on Tuesday regarding recent acts of antisemitism on campus.
In the letter obtained by FOX 29, the members wrote the following:
"President Magill’s actions in front of Congress were an embarrassment to the university, its student body, and its vast network of proud alumni. She has shown the university and the entire world that she is either incapable or unwilling to combat antisemitism on the university’s campus and take care of its student body. As such, I respectfully call on you to relieve President Magill of her duties as president to protect the lives of Jewish American students at the University of Pennsylvania."
On Wednesday, Governor Josh Shapiro went to Goldie in Center City to show his support after Sunday night’s pro-Palestinian protest outside the restaurant and during the news conference, he blasted President Magill for her "failed leadership" during the congressional hearing.
Specifically, giving his thoughts on her comments that were in response to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY 21st Congressional District). Magill was asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violates Penn’s rules or code of conduct.
"That was an unacceptable statement from the president at Penn. Frankly, I thought her comments were absolutely shameful. It should not be hard to condemn genocide. Genocide against Jews. Genocide against anyone else," said Governor Shapiro. "If that doesn’t violate the policies at Penn, well there’s something wrong with the policies at Penn that the board needs to get on, or there’s a failure of leadership from the president or both."
President Liz Magill then released the following video statement Wednesday evening amid the backlash:
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill releases video statement amid backlash
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has released a video after she received backlash from Governor Josh Shapiro, UPenn students and more who were displeased at her responses during a hearing at Capitol Hill to address recent antisemitic incidents on campus.
When asked what UPenn is doing to control antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus, President Magill says they’ve been working with police to investigate cases involving these acts and disciplining those involved, expanding public safety officers at religious life centers and across campus, and creating a task force to provide support for those impacted.
"Penn would not be what it is without its strong Jewish community, past, present, and future," said Magill during the hearing.
UPenn students are equally as fed up as PA congress members as they held a rally outside of President Magill’s office Thursday afternoon to condemn her recent testimony on antisemitic incidents on campus.
In a flyer for the rally sent to FOX 29, organizers said "UPenn’s president told Congress that calling for the genocide of Jews is acceptable "in some contexts. Join us in telling her that it’s not."
Students on campus have been encouraged to see Congress holding UPenn and other university leaders accountable.
"I don’t know what’s going to come of the President being in front of Congress. I don’t know if anything is going to change, but I know that there is a lot of students that are really trying to push and promote change and also education," said Kayla Bleier, UPenn Sophomore.
Penn President Liz Magill was grilled during the five-hour hearing Tuesday, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, on how their institutions had responded to instances of antisemitism on campuses. Their carefully worded responses faced swift backlash from Republican and some Democratic lawmakers as well as the White House hence the new motion from PA congress members.
It is unclear whether Magill will respond to the plea for her resignation.
FOX 29 will keep you updated with the latest.