Penn Alumni President Michael Barrett, a 1989 Engineering graduate and University trustee, wrote an email to alumni Thursday defending University leadership’s response to recent campus activity.
In his email, Barrett called for alumni to continue to exhibit trust in Penn administration amid campus tension over the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas. Recognizing the war’s impact on Jewish, Palestinian, and Arab communities, he encouraged alumni to receive University communication with understanding and empathy.
“I only ask that we each read, with open minds and hearts, the messages being shared during this difficult time,” Barrett wrote. “That we keep our trust in Penn, that we cherish each other regardless of our affiliations, and that we have confidence in the humanity of our leaders and their intentions.”
Barrett said in the email that he was responding to increased media attention and misinformation surrounding University activity. He expressed his confidence in Magill’s leadership during a difficult moment for the community.
“I have witnessed firsthand [Magill’s] steadiness and focus, even in the face of the most personal type of attacks these past weeks,” Barrett wrote. “She has been, in a word, inspiring.”
He added that the University Board of Trustees unanimously reaffirmed their confidence in Magill in a meeting over the weekend.
Barrett acknowledged that there was “room for constructive criticism” on the speed and clarity of University communication. However, he expressed support for Magill’s statement on Oct. 15, in which she emphasized Penn’s responsibility to combat antisemitism and create a safe campus environment.
The email also referred to the Palestine Writes Literature Festival, an event that has contributed to some donors and trustees calling for Magill and Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok’s resignations. Barrett wrote that Magill, upon learning about the alleged antisemitic remarks of several invited speakers, immediately outlined actions to address antisemitism and support the Jewish community.
"I thought it was an admirable attempt to reconcile the differences on campus. However, [the letter] just fell flat in the sense of not getting to the crux of the issue," an anonymous donor who has halted their donations and was granted anonymity in fear of retaliation told The Daily Pennsylvanian. "There's got to be clear rules for what can and can't be said."
Barrett’s email comes one day after 357 alumni wrote an open letter to Magill criticizing her statement on Oct. 15 for neglecting to mention the loss of Palestinian lives. The letter called for Magill to reissue her second statement to recognize Palestinians' suffering and protect voices supporting Palestinian rights.
“While the influence of mainstream media narratives and strong lobbying and donor groups is undeniable, it cannot serve as justification for overlooking egregious war crimes framed as ‘self defense,’” the alumni wrote in the letter.
Students and other Penn community members have also previously pushed back against Magill's statements for not acknowledging the pain felt by Palestinians, Arabs, or Muslims at Penn. On Oct. 16 and on Oct. 18, hundreds of people gathered on College Green to show solidarity with Palestine and criticize Magill for not including any mention of the ongoing violence against Palestinians in the region or the toll of the conflict on Palestinian students on campus in her statements.
Penn has faced mounting donor backlash over administrators' response to antisemitism on campus. Several influential donors have halted donations to the University, including 1987 College graduate Jon Huntsman Jr. and 1988 Wharton and Engineering graduate Clifford Asness, who co-founded AQR Capital Management. 1965 Wharton graduate Ronald Lauder wrote that Penn administrators were "forcing" him to reexamine his financial support.
Some alumni, however, have said that they will not stop donating to the University entirely. 1992 College and Wharton graduate Jon Gray, who is the CEO of Blackstone Group, told Bloomberg Television on Thursday that he will continue his donations to fund cancer research at Penn.
“For me, the University president Liz Magill, I think she’s a good person,” Gray said. “I don’t think she’s antisemitic. I do think she’s made some mistakes here, some of which she’s acknowledged.”
Gray has an estimated net worth of $5.9 billion, according to Bloomberg. Previously, Gray donated $55 million to establish a new Basser Center for BRCA in 2022 to research and prevent breast cancer.
Staff reporter Elea Castiglione and senior reporter Kira Wang contributed reporting.
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