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House Republicans have altered the list of presidents they’re calling on the carpet after their universities made new concessions to student demonstrators. The House Education and the Workforce Committee have called on the presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers Universities to testify in the latest college antisemitism hearing later this month, replacing leaders from Yale University and the University of Michigan.
Representative Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina and chair of the committee, made the announcement via a news release late Monday afternoon saying Michael Schill, of Northwestern, and Jonathan Holloway of Rutgers will join the University of California, Los Angeles, chancellor Gene Block to testify in person on May 23. The presidents of Yale and Michigan, originally slated to be in the hot seat with UCLA, will now be called to appear later.
The presidents of both Northwestern and Rutgers have made concessions to pro-Palestinian student protesters in recent days. At Rutgers, negotiations included the establishment of an Arab cultural center on each Rutgers campus and amnesty to all pro-Palestinian protesters on campus, in return for the dismantling of an encampment. At Northwestern, students were allowed to remain on the lawn until June 1, so long as they took down tents and silenced sound systems. The agreement also includes the university welcoming two Palestinian visiting faculty to the university, and providing scholarships for five Palestinian undergraduates.
While some outside commenters have praised the presidents for managing campus conflicts and preventing the need for law enforcement engagement, Foxx described the concessions to “unlawful antisemitic encampments” as “shocking.”
“They have surrendered to antisemitic radicals in despicable displays of cowardice,” she said in a press release about the decision. “As a result of these gravely concerning actions, the Committee believes it’s necessary to reevaluate the scope of the May 23 hearing and bring in the presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers—along with UCLA—to testify before the Committee.”
“Yale and Michigan are by no means off the hook,” she added. “Presidents Salovey and Ono will be required to appear before the Committee for transcribed interviews at a later date or risk deposition and subpoena.”
