Implications of Recent Events on Free Speech Policies

College campuses across the United States are embroiled in conflict over free speech amid the Israel-Gaza war. The stakes are so high that the University of Pennsylvania’s president resigned after a congressional hearing on antisemitism.

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Last week, a Republican-led House committee summoned the leaders of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT to Capitol Hill for a scalding critique of their efforts to address antisemitism on their campuses since the eruption of the Israel-Gaza war.

During the hearing, Penn’s president Liz Magill – and the other university presidents – declined to state plainly that a call for genocide against Jews would violate the university’s code of conduct. 

Magill told Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) it would violate the school’s code of conduct “if the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes.” When pressed by Stefanik, Magill said: “It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.”

Then, over the weekend, Magill resigned. 

Education reporter Hannah Natanson joins “Post Reports” to discuss what the questions raised in the committee hearing and the push for Magill’s removal mean for campuses across the nation, and why the stakes are so high.