The presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT appeared before a House committee on Wednesday to answer for their shameful inaction in the face of antisemitic rhetoric and attacks on their campuses. Their craven responses were as non-committal as their handlers obviously wanted, which served only to indict their institutions.
Indeed, the whole nation has watched aghast over the past few months as students have shown themselves to be in a state of moral confusion inculcated by the universities and their DEI departments’ promotion of an “an oppressed v. oppressor” narrative, which identifies terrorists as the oppressed and the women they raped as their oppressors.
The hearing by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce was called to examine what specific steps the three universities had taken following their campuses’ embrace of the Hamas terrorists who invaded Israel on Oct. 7, but all of higher education was put on the stand.
Everything from the rot of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the new racial segregation on campus to academia’s rigid, intolerant ideological partisanship, and its funding by nefarious foreign entities, was laid bare for the nation to see.
For three institutions that collectively took in around $10 billion in taxpayer money in grants and contracts between 2018 and 2022, it was a dereliction of duty. Beneficiaries of government dole in that Olympian magnitude have a responsibility to hold themselves accountable. On Wednesday, the schools failed miserably.
>>> College Presidents Just Showed America Their Moral Cowardice
Presidents Claudine Gay of Harvard, Elizabeth Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, and Sally Kornbluth of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology basically stuck to giving name, rank, and serial number. They repeated carefully rehearsed phrases obviously pre-cleared by lawyers and comms teams.
Gay particularly kept restating the same phrases, not even bothering to find different variations. One formulation she clung on to, as though it were a talisman that would save her from the bad men and women that had her pinned on the stand, was, “We are deeply committed to free expression, but not when it violates our policies against bullying, and intimidation, and harassment. Then we have strong disciplinary processes in place.”
Gay invoked “processes” in other contexts, too, despite diminishing returns that, by the end of the ordeal, had turned the term into an object of derision.
“I didn’t ask about your processes,” an obviously exasperated Texas Rep. Nathaniel Moran spat out at one point. “I am asking for action. How many students have been disciplined? How many have been held to account?”
Crickets.
On questions about expelling foreign students, who have obviously been a substantial part of the anti-Jewish demonstrations, Gay’s magic words were, “Our international students are an enormous source of pride for Harvard and part of our strength as an institution. But we hold those students accountable to the same set of disciplinary processes that we hold all of our students accountable to.” This was repeated again and again, only demonstrating that someone had sat with her and worked out messaging.
“Antisemitism has no place at Harvard” was another incantation Gay hurled over and over, despite the enormous evidence showing Jewish students being harassed at Harvard and the school’s long and shameful history of Jew hatred.
But her robotic answers notwithstanding, Gay did not have the most horrific answers of the day. That dubious distinction goes to either Magill or Kornbluth. It’s a tossup, so I’ll let the reader decide.
Magill’s came in an answer to Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. Stefanik asked, “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn’s code of conduct or rules regarding bullying and harassment?” To which the smiling Magill eagerly affirmed, “It is a context-dependent decision.”
“That’s your testimony today? Calling for the genocide of Jews is dependent upon the context?” said an incredulous Stefanik. “That’s the easiest yes, Ms. Magill!”
Kornbluth’s drop-mic moment came in an exchange with Utah Rep. Burgess Owens, a former NFL star with a Superbowl XV ring to prove it. He asked Kornbluth about the segregation of dorms and other places on campus.
>>> The Root Cause of the Insanity on College Campuses Is Older Than You May Think
“You have blacks-only dorms. Is it ok for whites to set up whites-only dorms where minorities are excluded?” asked Owens.
“It’s not exclusionary; it’s actually positive selection by students,” said Kornbluth, almost cheerily.
“We’re talking about segregation,” shot back Owens, a courtly and dignified black man who was born in 1951 and who, therefore, must have seen his share of racism, “It’s happening on your campuses!”
“There is a distinction between sending an exclusionary message and looking to other students for common experiences and support,” said Kornbluth, who may be highly accredited but apparently ignores that this is precisely how racists who supported Jim Crow would have defended segregation.
On second thought, perhaps it’s best to prepare beforehand with lawyers and communications people. Magill particularly has come under intense pressure to resign, and if her tone-deaf retort doesn’t convince the board that the “context” requires her departure, not much will.
Because, as the hearing made clear, if higher-ed institutions indoctrinate the young into the narrative favored by the Left and keep out conservative professors, students, and ideas, most Democrats will run cover for them.
But these institutions, and those running interference, are obviously blind to the hit that this lopsided political approach is taking on their all-important brand. If prospective employers, and the country at large, suspect that graduates from elite institutions will know no philosophy, no arts, no science—no beauty, truth, or good—but only how to “out-woke” each other, who will hire them?
This piece originally appeared in The Washington Examiner
Reprinted with permission from The Heritage Foundation
If the Left didn’t have a double standard, they would have no standards at all.
True divesity? Nope.
True Inclusion? Nope.
True equality? (not “equity”) Nope.
”Safe Spaces”? What a crock of crap.
Peacefully Coexist? Total BS
I’d like to give the “micro agression” of a size 10 boot up their posterior.
The sad thing is, nothing will happen to these administrators. Oh sure, some might “resign” however, they’ll still have their cushy jobs in academia. The unmitigated arrogance and hypocrisy of these folks is appalling.
It starts at the board of trustees and goes to liberal presidents, liberal administrators, liberal educators and to impressionable young people. The rot in our education system is extensive and very destructive.
There should be a serious look at all funds ( federal and state) going to all universities, colleges and private schools which are undermining our country and constitution
This article is a great example of what needs to be done to deal with the moral rot that is being associated with colleges/ universities these days . Identify what is involved , then have a plan to fix what needs to be fixed , then proceed to fix it. Realistically it could take varying amounts of time to get educational institutions cleared up, cleaned out – rid of the moral rot , but it is always better to take action against wrongdoing rather than ignoring it. I am 73, have been identifying myself as a Reagan conservative since 1980. I believe that the Declaration of Independence was one of the best things that ever happened in the world . And that the parable of Christ about the lamp, the light from the lamp symbolizing doing what is morally right and being a good example to others is a great outlook to have and should be kept in mind at all times. Much needs improvement in this Nation but having a positive,optimistic spirit will help in all endeavors. God bless America,land of the free and the home of the brave.
they should not get govt. tax payer money for their schools.
I’ve known for some time that colleges (especially those receiving gov’t funding) were leftist indoctrination businesses. The degradation of higher education that has worked itself down to K-12 as well, is a result of federal funding which resulted in college for 90-95% of high school graduates and those colleges/universities growing their campuses to handle them.
The best college in this country is non-gov’t funded (federal, state or local) and their independence allows them to teach truth. Hillsdale College gives free online courses as well. Their president is awesome, very engaging with the students, and has a great sense of humor. Hillsdale (to me) outshines most, if not all, other colleges/universities in this country.
A moral rot brought about by the Marxist revolution. The Marxist goals are clear!
Public needs to be aware of this…not all people know of Amac…this should be on the Media News.
BS! Since when do businesses and institutions who discriminate based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, andvsexual preference receive government funding? If only I had actual say in where my taxes are spent.
I came away after the hearing with those 3 presidents, with, were they smarter than a 5th Grader? My mom only had a 6th grade education but she could have formulated a better answer than what these 3 presidents came up with. I cannot believe that these women were head of such always called, prestigious institutions of learning. Was their brainwashing showing? Were they told not to buckle under to the right? The left is right no matter what? Then we find out Gay has plagiarized her thesis and many papers over the years and also that is okayed by the left. Why is our tax money going to these elite institutions? Why are professors allowed to teach Marxism. Why are millions of Chinese allowed to study there and after their study is over stay here. Oh I forgot ole Joe is beholden to Xi and the CCP.
U Penn president is allowed to stay and teach more Marxism? Why? I guess the McCarthy era didn’t teach us nothing. Nor the Cold War.
Those who do not learn from the past are bound to repeat it.
American tax payers should NOT be funding any colleges or universities.
Just look at those three. They were hired specifically to foment the exact moral ROT that this article addresses. Any…ANY conservative alumnus or alumna that contributes to these pig sties is either a pseudo-conservative fraud or an outright fool!
These administrators, and others of their ilk, do not discipline the GOONS who regularly attack any conservative speaker who deigns to show up on their campuses. Now these same GOONS openly call for the extermination of Jews. Still these “leaders” cannot (will not) discipline these terrorists! Especially the ones who are not even US citizens. They want the money which foreign governments pay them.. Think of all the ChiCom dollars going to UPenn for their “Biden Center.”
As long as the “students” and the parents pay those toxic institutions all will be well with them these so called educators are indoctrinated indoctrinators filling the empty space between the ears with poison and collecting a substantial pay checks for it They still could sink lower and be proud
Stop all federal tax dollars. I don’t want my tax dollars going to support these institutions. I don’t care what employers do.
The entirety of cancel culture should be ended of course as it violates the First Amendment. One must remember always that the right codified by this Amendment is universal so any and everyone should be allowed to praise or scorn whom they please. If a group wishes to laud the current government in Israel who had openly called not just HAMAS members but the entire population of Gaza, “animals that must be put down”, then let them praise this government and the people that elected it. If a groups wishes thto condemn these actions then they too must be allowed to do so.
Additionally if a group or individual wishes to condemn a particular religion and its practitioners they should be allowed to do so. The group so condemned likewise has the right to condemn their……..”condemnors”. So, those who support the Israeli outlook on the hierarchy or lack thereof of Palestinians should be allowed to show that support and likewise those that support not just the Palestinian cause but even that of HAMAS whether they have committed insanely evil actions or not. Each side considers past actions of their “opponents” equally evil and according to our Constitution it is up to no one to decide whose opinion can or cannot be expressed. Let both sides gather and yell at buildings if they wish. If we refuse, no matter how odious the opinion being expressed may seem to other parties, then we have lost what little remains of human rights on an expression level.
A question that really should be put forth to these educators is how much actual learning is being allowed on campus what with all the apparent abundance of free time these students on either side of this argument to take to the streets for their usual yelling at buildings.
As for any threat to one side or the other, there are existing laws regarding such. Perhaps the powers that be should consider the enforcement portion of law enforcement.
And if Harvard lets Gay stay in after exposing her plagiarism, then Harvard’s stature as a great institution of higher learning has fallen even lower.
If there were a “whites only” student housing with a “separate but equal” blacks only student housing at a university in a red state, it would be (rightfully) called “segregation”. Harvard has “blacks only” student housing but that’s called DEI. See? All you have to do is “twist the context”! White ppl messed up with Jim Crow! All they had to do is embrace critical race theory and… wha-la! They’re not blatantly racist, they’re subtly “progressive” and the “races are segregated”! I also find it humorous they claim the President of Harvard is being attacked because she’s a “woman” when, by their own admission, they don’t know what one is!
ALL colleges have moral rot??
This is supposed to be a free country, so these colleges should be free to run them as they please. No one is forcing these young people to attend any of them. Parents should vote with their wallets. DON’T SEND YOUR KIDS TO ONE OF THESE LIBERAL CESSPOOLS! When it comes to funding by taxpayers, that’s another story. Saying blacks can’t have an all black dorm is just as bad as saying you have to include blacks in all of the dorms. Personally, I wouldn’t send my dog to a college like Harvard.
What these schools need are better leaders in the schools many schools should start to loose there funding this may open up there eyes some students that do not like to follow rules should be told they need to find another school. What is really bad is they should be in school learning what there major is instead they are out in the streets carrying signs some teachers are right there with them this needs to stop. What is very sad these are suppose to be our future leaders.
Our government should not give one cent of taxpayer money to these disgusting indoctrination machines… and all donors of good conscience, regardless of their religions, should demur as well. There once was a day these so-called prestigious institutions stood for something good… now they, SOME of their professors, and MANY of their administrators, are bloated, UN-American pigs. What these presidents (and many more) have accomplished is to tarnish these universities, and unfortunately or fortunately, the degrees many hold from them. So much for REAL free speech and LACK of racial bias.