After a series of institutional failures at the University of Pennsylvania, the president and chairman of the board each issued their respective resignations earlier this month. The resignations came amid massive backlash following former President Liz Magill’s disastrous testimony at a congressional hearing on combatting antisemitism on college campuses. A short press release announced their departures, and little has been said about who will now lead one of the United States’ oldest and proudest higher education institutions beyond an interim basis.
To say it’s been a long few weeks for the university would be an understatement. Undoubtedly, Penn hopes that the resignation of its president and board chair will put this moment quickly into the rearview mirror and that Americans will forget about the damage they’ve caused.
But for the benefit of its students, the opposite should happen. We must not let this seismic blunder go unaddressed.
In its founding, this prestigious university was led by Benjamin Franklin, who believed “an education is the investment with the greatest returns.” While that is true, what he failed to predict is that in 2023, antisemitism would be running rampant throughout the halls of this institution, putting the safety and well-being of Jewish students at risk.
Let’s first be clear about what has transpired at Penn in the wake of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on the nation of Israel — the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
In the months following the attack, condemnations of Hamas were few and far between from Penn’s faculty. Some even took part in the antisemitic rhetoric at rallies, joining protesters who chanted “From the river to the sea” and “Long live the Intifada.” Both phrases are considered antisemitic hate speech, and each has been condemned by politicians on both sides of the aisle. But these faculty, whose duty it is to shape the minds of Penn’s students, disgracefully chose to ignore their warnings, embrace the rhetoric, and join anti-Israel events.
Why would these professors take part in such a horrific display of antisemitism? Because for far too long, the university has been a breeding ground for intolerance and hateful speech.
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the University of Pennsylvania ranked 247 out of 248 colleges for free speech in the United States, receiving abysmal scores in the areas of administrative support (235th) and tolerance for conservatives (220th). The only school in the nation to fare worse was Harvard University.
This echo chamber for radicalism shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. According to the Daily Pennsylvanian, 99.7 percent of political donations from University of Pennsylvania faculty went to Democrats in the last election cycle. Yes, you read that right. Nearly 100 percent. This underscores the complete disregard for diversity of thought on campus, creating a vicious cycle of hate speech being left unchecked and continually plaguing its student body.
And it’s gone too far. This institution is clearly out of control and in critical need of a reset. However, now that former President Magill is no longer leading the university, the school has ample opportunity to right its wrongs.
Here’s what needs to happen.
First, the University of Pennsylvania must select a president who embraces diversity of thought — not just the ideas its far-left faculty members subscribe to religiously. The days of bending the knee to liberal talking heads must be over. Universities are places for our children to grow into young adult leaders, not to be turned into extreme liberal activists.
Second, the institution must weed out hate among its ranks. I’d encourage its new leader to start with professors and administrators who have openly embraced the genocidal calls on campus and show them the door. Penn’s students are impressionable minds. We must ensure the best and brightest are guiding them — not the most radical and racist.
Third, Penn must revise its code of conduct to make clear that attacks on people of Jewish faith are not tolerated. There is no instance in which calling for the genocide of any group of people should be deemed acceptable conduct, and the rules should reflect this fact.
Lastly, this new standard set forth by the university must be enforced not just today but for generations to come. In order to eradicate Penn’s antisemitism epidemic, its leaders must lead through their actions, conduct and enforcement — providing a safe place for Jewish students to learn.
These are good starting points to get the University of Pennsylvania on a path of healing while ensuring this never happens again on its campus. The leadership, faculty, students, alumni and our commonwealth will be better off because of it.
Penn’s motto is Leges Sine Moribus Vanae, meaning “Laws without morals are useless.” May this moment serve as a time to reflect on the university’s morals and unequivocally condemn antisemitism — once and for all.
Guy Reschenthaler represents Pennsylvania’s 14th District in the U.S. House of Representatives and currently serves as the Chief Deputy Whip for the 118th Congress.