UPenn president resigns after congressional testimony backlash

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) President Elizabeth Magill “voluntarily tendered her resignation” on Saturday, according to a message to the university community.

Magill faced widespread criticism following a hearing of the House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee on Dec. 5, where she refused to say that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the university’s policies. Scott Bok, the chairman of UPenn’s Board of Trustees, announced that Magill had resigned from her position.

“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,” he wrote. “President Magill has agreed to stay on until an interim president is appointed.”

BREAKING: Liz Magill has resigned as the President of @Penn following her disastrous congressional testimony. pic.twitter.com/BxIP9kILsD

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 9, 2023

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

Magill’s testimony prompted one donor to UPenn, Ross Stevens, to withdraw around $100 million donation to the university. The board of the university’s Wharton School, its well-renowned school of economic and business studies, also explicitly called for her resignation.

UPenn’s board held an emergency meeting to discuss the fallout from Magill’s testimony on Thursday.

Over 70 members of Congress issued a letter calling for her removal, alongside that of Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Kornbluth. Gay has since apologized for her testimony.

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