PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The University of Pennsylvania’s president testified before Congress Tuesday morning at a U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing to address the handling of antisemitic demonstrations and an emboldened culture of bias against Jews on college campuses across the nation.
Universities have had the challenge of balancing free speech as a constitutional right with the need for responsible dialogue and the assurance of students’ safety.
Last month, the Department of Education began an investigation into reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia at several universities along the East Coast, including Penn. That list has since grown from seven schools and districts to 57 institutions. The Education Department also has sent letters to schools reminding them of their legal duty to stop harassment that interferes with student learning.
Now, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and the presidents of Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are accused of not doing enough to stop a growing culture of hate, bias and intimidation against Jews on their campuses.
All three presidents defended their universities' responses. Magill said antisemitism has no place at Penn, reiterating an “unyielding commitment to combating it.”
“As president, I am committed to a safe, secure and supportive educational environment so that our academic mission can thrive,” Magill said in her opening statement. “As a student of constitutional democracy, I know that we need both safety and free expression for universities and ultimately democracy to thrive. In these times, these competing principles can be difficult to balance, but I am determined to get it right. And we must get this right. The stakes are too high. Penn would not be what it is without its strong Jewish community past, present and future.”
At one point, Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina challenged Magill, asking: How did your campus get this way?
“I would venture an answer, Chairwoman Foxx, that antisemitism has a role in the broader society and that's what we're seeing happening in society and on our campuses,” Magill said. “And I'm committed to combating it in the immediate term and the long term.”
N.J. Congressman Donald Norcross asked Magill if she had the power to stop the Palestine Writes Literature Festival that Penn hosted in the Fall, where many speakers had been identified as antisemitic.
“Congressman, we have probably thousands of speakers to campus every single year. Many of them I disagree with. I don't cancel or censor them in advance of their arrival to campus.”
During Tuesday's hearing, Republicans questioned the colleges' record in combating antisemitism, as well as their work on issues under the umbrella of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“For years, universities have stoked the flames of an ideology which goes by many names — anti-racism, anti-colonialism, critical race theory, DEI, intersectionality, the list goes on,” Foxx said. “And now it is clear that Jews are at the bottom of the totem pole and without protection under this critical theory framework.”
But Democrats noted that Republicans have sought to cut funding to the Education Department, and specifically the Office of Civil rights, which undertakes investigations into issues like antisemitism and discrimination on campuses.
Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the committee's ranking Democrat, criticized Republicans for “stoking culture wars” while claiming to be combating discrimination on campus.
“You can’t have it both ways," Scott said. "You can’t call for action and then hamstring the agency charged with taking that action to protect students’ civil rights."
Prior to the investigation, Magill announced a new action plan to combat antisemitism after a string of antisemitic incidents occurred on campus, including hateful graffiti and “vile, disturbing antisemitic emails that threatened violence against members of [their] Jewish community.”
The plan, which focuses on safety and security, engagement, and education, got mixed reviews from students, many of whom say she was simply pressured by donors.
Foxx asked the testifying university presidents to submit a detailed report on what is being done to end antisemitism on campus and keep students safe.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.