Conservative administrator who took action against anti-Israel protesters elected UNC chancellor
A conservative administrator who took decisive action against anti-Israel protesters has been elected as the next chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Lee Roberts, who previously served as the interim chancellor, was named the school’s permanent chancellor on Aug 9.
A conservative administrator who took decisive action against anti-Israel protesters has been elected as the next chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Lee Roberts, who previously served as the interim chancellor, was named the school’s permanent chancellor on Aug 9. Roberts previously worked in finance and has held a variety of positions in higher education, including serving as a member of the UNC System Board of Governors.
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The decision has been criticized by some, however, due to action Roberts took in response to the anti-Israel protests that occurred last semester. Roberts called in the police to arrest dozens of participants in a “Triangle Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” and at one point, personally raised the American flag after it was lowered by protesters and replaced with a Palestinian one.
Roberts responded to this criticism in an interview with WUNC, citing basic rules the school maintains regarding protests and adding that, “as long as folks abide by those rules, which I think are very clear guardrails and hopefully easy to comply with, I think we’ll have a really positive semester.”
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Other criticisms relate to Roberts’ past financial ties to Art Pope, a conservative donor whom some UNC students have accused of pushing “agendas aiming to defund public higher education and promote conservative ideology in university curricula.”
Pope contends that the money paid to Roberts was for his service on the board of directors of his business, Variety Wholesalers.
Despite these criticisms, Roberts is grateful to be selected for the position.
““For 230 years, UNC-Chapel Hill has been the most important pillar on which we build a better future for North Carolina and its people,” he said in a UNC system press release. “I’m deeply honored to be asked to play a role in serving this great university. There’s a lot of exciting work ahead.”
Campus Reform has contacted Chancellor Roberts and UNC for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
