ACF-Penn Celebrates Leadership Change

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 9, 2023

Contact: Avi D. Gordon, Executive Director Alums for Campus Fairness

917-332-1185, [email protected] 

Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) welcomes Liz Magill and Scott Bok’s decision to step down as president and chair of the Board of Trustees, respectively, at the University of Pennsylvania. Their actions and inactions surrounding the notorious "Palestine Writes Literature Festival" in September enabled antisemitism even before the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7. Their failure to protect Jewish students in the aftermath of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust was a moral failure and a stain on the university.

ACF called for Magill and Bok’s resignation on October 15 – the first time our organization had taken such a step. We launched a six-figure grassroots and advertising campaign on behalf of Penn alumni and community members, raising public awareness of the rapidly deteriorating situation on campus and ultimately resulting in a Congressional inquiry. 

"Liz Magill and Scott Bok’s resignations were necessary to correct the myriad of leadership failures over the last few months. We look forward to working with the new leadership to make Penn a safe place for Jewish students once again. Much work remains to be done,” said Avi D. Gordon, executive director of ACF.

College and university leaders across the country are reevaluating their own policies and attitudes towards antisemitism – and rightfully so. All institutions that have not done so already should adopt the internationally accepted IHRA definition of antisemitism and make resources available for training staff and students alike.

About ACF: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) leverages the unique power of alumni to combat antisemitism on college campuses. ACF helps organize and cultivate alumni chapters for colleges and universities across the country, equipping members with tools, tactics, and training to proactively engage with administrators. Learn more at www.campusfairness.org.