CONTROVERSY AT PENN, ACADEMIC YEAR-END UPDATES

During a year of turmoil on campus, the University of Pennsylvania was presented unfavorably in the national spotlight as a cesspool of hate. An administration that allowed calls for the genocide of Jews and the destruction of the State of Israel was represented on national television by then Penn President Liz Magill. Magill’s testimony during the Congressional investigation was that antisemitism on Penn’s campus is permissible depending on the circumstances and context.

The June 6, 2024, edition of The Daily Pennsylvanian ran three feature articles addressing the current status of antisemitism at Penn as students left for the summer break.

All of the following reports are from the June 6, 2024, edition of The Daily Pennsylvanian.

United States government expands their investigation of antisemitism at Penn

According to an article written by Jasmine Ni, the Penn administration has received a letter advising that an investigation, made at the behest of six Congressional committees, will examine alleged “ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic harassment and intimidation” at Penn. Of particular interest is the existing “learning environment” and tracking how Penn uses federal funds in order to determine whether Penn is in compliance with the terms accompanying the financial grants.

In the letter delivered to the Penn administration on June 3, 2024, Congress let it be known that it would “not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist.” The letter alleged that Penn violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and that federal funds are not to be used to “indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism.”   

Journalist Ni reports the letter was signed by the chairs of six House committees, to wit: the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

The letter further asserts, “The fight against antisemitism is not a partisan issue. The undersigned Committee chairs are proud to conduct this work with substantial bipartisan support and will not rest until the facts are known.”

Penn reveals the findings of their own investigation

An article written by Tanisha Agrawal, Ethan Young, and Jasmine Ni, states Penn’s University Task Force in Antisemitism and the Presidential Commission on Countering Hate and Building Community offered recommendations on how to address antisemitism on campus and how to address demands that Penn should boycott and divest any entity involving Israel.

Journalists Agrawal, Young, and Ni declare that the report from the Presidential Commission made recommendations to the Penn administration to make clear that Penn can regulate open expression, and that disciplinary action can be applied when open expression violates guidelines established for open expression and other Penn policies.

Penn sets guidance for campus demonstrations

In an article written by Neema Baddam and Ethan Young, it is reported that “Penn has implemented new temporary guidelines for campus demonstrations and initiated a review of the Guidelines on Open Expression.” An email sent to the University community “contained updated guidance on when, where, and how open expression can take place and announced the formation of a task force to review the existing open expression policies.”

The new guidelines apply to all members of the Penn community and to Penn-affiliated organizations wishing to schedule an event on Penn’s campus. Among the new published restrictions are that reservations to use outdoor spaces on campus require a two-week notice, non-water-soluble substances are prohibited on any University surface, light projections are prohibited on any Penn structure unless permission is given by designated Penn officials, demonstrators are not allowed on Penn sculptures and statues, and encampments and overnight demonstrations are banned.

The journalists report that when the Philadelphia police broke up the encampment in front of College Hall on May 10, 2024, only nine of the 33 protestors arrested were Penn students. The temporary guidelines also deal with non-Penn students. Non-Penn students are required to obey the same guidelines established for Penn students as well as any orders and/or directions made by Penn officials.

In addition, all persons who have been issued a Penn ID, must present their ID to an officer of Penn’s Division of Public Safety. If the identification is being made for possible disciplinary action, notice of such purpose must be disclosed at that time.