MARSCHALL: Shameful Northwestern president must own up to his cowardly ineptitude at Congressional hearing
Northwestern is one of the worst examples of administrative negligence . President Schill allowed the pro-Hamas occupation to stand this spring and failed to go after protesters who called for violence against Jews.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has justifiably summoned Northwestern University President Michael Schill to testify May 23 on “shocking concessions to the unlawful antisemitic encampments” the institution enabled last semester.
These hearings are important because they hold university leaders accountable and demonstrate how far removed they are from reality.
Northwestern is one of the worst examples of administrative negligence in protecting Jewish students. Schill allowed the pro-Hamas occupation to stand this spring and failed to go after protesters who called for violence against Jews.
He then caved like a coward to their demands in exchange for ending the encampment.
Campus Reform’s report reads:
In the deal, Northwestern administrators agreed to “support visiting Palestinian faculty and students at risk” by funding two Palestinian faculty per year for two years and covering the full cost of attendance for five Palestinian undergraduates to attend the institution.
Northwestern will also provide “temporary space” for Muslim students and Middle East and North African Studies Program students, with the promise that a house will be built for those students.
These concessions come after the university’s anti-Semitism task force fell apart because it could not function in the virulently anti-Semitic environment Schill had fostered.
Schill has more than gross ineptitude to answer for.
I recently sat down with Jewish alumni and students from Northwestern University to hear about their latest experiences. Students recalled being told to go back to Poland and wishing Hitler had gassed them. Multiple students also struggled to get to class because the quads were laced with antisemites waiting to target whoever looked Jewish.
Unsurprisingly, a spokesperson for the organization Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern told me that, “President Schill didn’t consult with parties who would be impacted by his negotiations.”
Schill’s shilling for anti-Jewish zealots is not surprising. I would know. His failure to keep Jewish students safe on campus last fall motivated me to submit a Title VI complaint against Northwestern. That complaint resulted in the Department of Education’s investigation into the institution’s handling of antisemitism.
Schill is a disgrace and his administration’s rush to make Jew-haters happy is worse than shameful.
I reached out to Northwestern to ask how it plans to pay the full scholarships, new housing, and faculty positions. I also asked the university if it would promise not to raise tuition or fees to cover the new costs.
Northwestern chose not to respond to my inquiries.
I highly doubt there is a real plan to pay for the concessions. Cowards react more than they strategize in tense situations.
I hope at least one House Committee member asks him the same question. The Northwestern community - and the rest of the nation - deserve an explanation.
I’m cautiously optimistic that the testimony will further expose the depravity on the Evanston, Illinois, campus. The House Committee’s hearings reinforce the fact that protecting Jewish students - or any other minority - is not a political issue. It is an American virtue to foster civil discourse, ethno-religious tolerance, and respect for law and order.
When I attended the Apr. 17 hearing with Columbia University officials, I saw politicians from both sides of the aisle condemn President Minouche Shafik’s mishandling of the pro-Hamas encampment. She allowed petulant children to run campus, occupy a building, and cancel graduation.
At its core, higher education is not for finding yourself or experimenting with social causes. It is about receiving a rigorous education. That objective is impossible for everyone - regardless of race or religion - when a petulant minority on campus disrupts daily life and vandalizes facilities.
It is the university’s responsibility to create structure and safety for students to thrive. It is Schill’s responsibility to resign and let a real American leader restore the once esteemed Northwestern back to national prominence.
The hearing “Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos” starts at 10:15 am on May 23. Presidents from Rutgers University and the University of California, Los Angeles, will also testify. The event can be streamed here.
Editorials and op-eds reflect the opinion of the authors and not necessarily that of Campus Reform or the Leadership Institute.
