UPenn President Liz Magill steps down after controversial testimony on antisemitism

Magill faced major backlash after her testimony during a congressional hearing

House launches investigation into Harvard, UPenn and MIT over ‘rampant antisemitism’

Former Israeli Knesset member Michal Cotler-Wunsh says this has been a ‘real moment of reckoning’ amid major U.S. colleges facing antisemitism backlash on ‘The Evening Edit.’

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has resigned Saturday after widespread public outrage over her testimony to Congress on antisemitism.

The announcement came after days of intense pressure from Penn alumni and elected officials following Magill's botched Capitol Hill testimony earlier in the week. After refusing, along with the presidents of Harvard and MIT, to unequivocally condemn calls for genocide of Jews, Magill reportedly faced the likelihood the school's board of trustees would fire her as soon as Sunday.

“I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania. She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law,” Board of Trustees Chairman Scott L. Bok wrote in a statement.

Bok said that Magill agreed to stay on until an interim president is appointed.

STEFANIK APPLAUDS RESIGNATION OF UPENN PRESIDENT LIZ MAGILL: 'ONE DOWN. TWO TO GO'

UPenn President Liz Magill

Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Lawmakers on the education committee will grill the leaders of Harvard University, (Photographer: Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution. It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn’s vital missions,” Magill wrote in a statement.

Magill resigned days after major donor Ross Stevens rescinded a $100 million gift to the school in protest of the college's handling of antisemitism on campus and her leadership. The board of Penn's Wharton business school also asked Magill to resign and the university's board of trustees held an emergency meeting Thursday as the school faced backlash over her comments.

Both Stevens and the Wharton board pointed to Magill's disastrous Congressional testimony in statements explaining the reasons for their respective actions.

UPENN DONOR WITHDRAWS $100M DONATION AFTER PRESIDENT'S CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY ON ANTISEMITISM

Magill will keep her position as a tenured faculty member at the university's law school.

At issue were remarks Magill made before the House Education and Workforce Committee this week in which she refused to outright say that antisemitic chants and calls for the genocide of Jewish people violate the school's code of conduct.

Liz Magill in front of microphone

Liz Magill, president of University of Pennsylvania, testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington, D.C. The Committee held a hearing to investigate antisemitism on col (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images / Getty Images)

During the hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., asked Magill if “calling for the genocide of Jews violate[s] Penn’s rules or code of conduct? Yes or no?”

“If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes,” Magill responded, later adding “It is a context-dependent decision.”

PFIZER CEO SLAMS PRESIDENTS OF ELITE COLLEGES OVER ‘DESPICABLE’ ANTISEMITISM

Dr. Claudine Gay of Harvard, Liz Magill of UPenn, and Dr. Sally Kornbluth of MIT

Dr. Claudine Gay of Harvard, left, Liz Magill of UPenn, center, and Dr. Sally Kornbluth of MIT, right, during testimony Tuesday. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“This is unacceptable. Ms. Magill,” a stunned Stefanik responded. “I’m gonna give you one more opportunity for the world to see your answer. Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn’s code of conduct when it comes to bullying and harassment? Yes or no?” she asked again.

“It can be harassment,” the University of Pennsylvania president replied.

Those comments set off a firestorm of scathing condemnations of the university and extracted clarifying remarks from Magill posted on X a day later.

“There was a moment during yesterday's congressional hearing on antisemitism when I was asked if a call for the genocide of Jewish people on our campus would violate our policies. In that moment, I was focused on our university's long-standing policies aligned with the U.S. Constitution, which says that speech alone is not punishable,” Magill said. “I was not focused on, but I should have been, on 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.”

FOX Business' Sarah Rumpf Whitten and Eric Revell contributed to this report.

OTHER NEWS

28 minutes ago

England are mocked in the European press with Germany revelling in the 'embarrassment', the French calling Gareth Southgate's team 'impotent' - and a brutal set of player raitngs

28 minutes ago

The top three things millions of Aussies can do NOW to boost their tax return - but you have to be quick

30 minutes ago

2004 White Chicks movie slated by millennials for not 'standing test of time'

30 minutes ago

Aussies cooking with gas not nuclear under network plan

30 minutes ago

Oilers fans in Edmonton loyal despite Stanley Cup Game 7 defeat

32 minutes ago

Hollywood crews, studios reach tentative contract deal, making another big strike unlikely

32 minutes ago

‘Forrest Gump’ stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright to reunite in new film ‘Here’: See photos

35 minutes ago

US journalist Evan Gershkovich goes on trial for espionage in Russia

38 minutes ago

‘Making it up as he goes along’: Peter Dutton not ‘across the detail’ on nuclear policy

38 minutes ago

102-year-old Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer becomes Vogue Germany cover star

38 minutes ago

Up 69% in 2024! Could the Kodal Minerals share price still be a bargain?

38 minutes ago

IG North America CEO JJ Kinahan: 'Wild bullishness' in Nvidia has settled down

38 minutes ago

Deva Cassel On The Best Piece Of Advice Mother Monica Bellucci Has Given Her

39 minutes ago

Negotiators seal EU top jobs deal for von der Leyen, Costa and Kallas

39 minutes ago

French feminists march against far right with days before vote

39 minutes ago

AFL 2024: St Kilda positive about game style, says Liam Henry

39 minutes ago

Greg Lopez wins Colorado's 4th Congressional District special election

39 minutes ago

Panthers lock in Cleary’s return date

39 minutes ago

Lightning Round: If you're looking to buy SMCI just buy Nvidia, says Jim Cramer

39 minutes ago

Health warning for northern WA after two die from mosquito-borne disease

39 minutes ago

Report: Joshua Kimmich could be on his way out of Bayern Munich

39 minutes ago

Heathrow Airport chaos after British Airways IT failure leaves passengers 'stranded on planes'

39 minutes ago

Tigers flag hero future in doubt after back surgery

39 minutes ago

Steady dollar sends yen to the brink of 160

39 minutes ago

Trade unions slam Zille’s plan on DGs

39 minutes ago

‘Hungry’ Lion’s warning to AFL rivals

41 minutes ago

Ralf Rangnick delighted by ‘incredible’ first place for Austria at Euro 2024

44 minutes ago

LISTEN: On today's EUROS DAILY: England were 'abysmal', 'stunk the place out,' and played like a 'five-a-side team of kids'... so are they sleepwalking towards an early exit?

44 minutes ago

From the Pocket: if Tom Hawkins has played his last game, he bows out with nothing more to prove

44 minutes ago

Lewis Hamilton questioned over "regrets" after quitting Mercedes for Ferrari

44 minutes ago

Dieter Kurtenbach: Why I’m not worried about the Warriors losing Klay Thompson (and other Dubs thoughts)

44 minutes ago

Hollywood Minute: ‘Labyrinth In Concert’

44 minutes ago

LeBron James Wants To Play For "2-3 More Years" For The Lakers But Will Hold Back If They Cannot Compete

44 minutes ago

CONFIRMED: Andile Jali signs with PSL club!

44 minutes ago

How Afghanistan's fairytale cricket journey started in Dubai

44 minutes ago

China premier slams trade tensions as electric vehicle exports hit by tariffs

44 minutes ago

Story behind Queen Camilla's controversial £7million tiara that belonged to the late Queen

44 minutes ago

Does Trevor Lawrence’s contract extension impact Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins? | Speak

44 minutes ago

Soccer mum Elsa Pataky shows off her toned legs in unusual leggings as she cheers on her daughter from the sidelines during football game in Byron Bay

46 minutes ago

Celine Dion insisted on keeping distressing seizure scene in her documentary: ‘Don’t cut that’