University of Pennsylvania names interim president after Magill ouster

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) has named J. Larry Jameson as its interim president after former head Liz Magill was ousted following controversial comments in a House hearing on college antisemitism.

Interim Chair for the Board of Trustees Julie Beren Platt announced Tuesday that Jameson, head of the university’s medical school, would take charge while they search for a permanent replacement. 

“Penn is fortunate to have the benefit of Dr. Jameson’s experience and leadership during this time of transition,” Platt said in the statement.  

Jameson is currently the longest serving dean at the university and recently said calls of genocide violate the school’s policies.

“Calls for genocide, echoing horrors of the past, violate our behavioral standards and remind us that we must forcefully condemn, prevent, and respond to hate in all forms,” a Penn Medicine letter, authored by Jameson and the CEO of Penn’s health system, Kevin Mahoney, said, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian.  

Magill was ousted from the presidency after she said at a House hearing it would depend on the context if a call to genocide Jewish people would violate the school’s policies.  

“Please join me in thanking Dr. Jameson for stepping into this role and for guiding Penn during this challenging time,” Platt concluded in the announcement. 

Penn is going to be under a close watch after Chair of the House Education Committee Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) announced last week an investigation into it, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology regarding their learning environments and disciplinary policies after their leaders’ congressional testimonies.

Earlier Tuesday, the Fellows of Harvard College, the more powerful of the school’s two governing boards, said President Claudine Gay will not be removed from the job.

“As members of the Harvard Corporation, we today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University,” the board said. “Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing.”