Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik grilled the president of Pennsylvania’s Haverford College during a congressional hearing Wednesday over disciplinary action on campus-related antisemitism since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Haverford College President Wendy Raymond tried to sidestep Stefanik’s question of whether there had been any disciplinary action taken against a student group that was accused of antisemitism at the college. Raymond said the group’s statements were “repugnant” and indefensible, though did not elaborate on potential discipline.
“I’m asking about the disciplinary action,” Stefanik repeated. “You were the one university president who failed to lay out if any disciplinary action has been taken, if any suspensions or expulsion. So I am asking you, was there any disciplinary action taken?”
Raymond again denounced the group’s statements, but said she would not speak to individual cases. When pressed on whether the college took “any” disciplinary measures related to antisemitism, Raymond began to sidestep again before answering, “Yes, there have been some.”
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Stefanik then asked about a mathematics professor at the college who allegedly made an antisemitic post online and whether the college launched an investigation or took any disciplinary action against the educator.
“Respectfully, representative, I will not be talking about individual cases,” Raymond responded.
“Respectfully, President of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in the positions as president of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions,” Stefanik said.
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Stefanik was referencing her grilling of Ivy League college administrators from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, her alma mater, in December 2023 regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The school leaders, however, waffled in their responses.
“It can be, depending on the context,” Harvard’s then-President Claudine Gay responded to the question.
“Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews break school rules.
Both Gay and Penn’s then-President Liz Magill resigned from their high-profile positions shortly after the hearing, while footage of the exchanges spread like wildfire on social media.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
