Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Shapiro says UPenn has 'lost its way'

Pennsylvania Democrat Governor. Josh Shapiro called out the University of Pennsylvania and said it has “lost its way” in a conversation on anti-Semitism.

The comment was made by Shapiro on Tuesday during a conversation with American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch in Philadelphia. Shaprio made the statement about the University of Pennsylvania in response to a question regarding how higher education has responded to the rapid increase in anti-Semitism since the October 7 terror attack, according to Jewish Insider.

“Universities have a moral and a legal responsibility to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to this country to keep all students safe on campus,” Shapiro said. “For some universities, I think they were willing to forgo that responsibility, or it got a little bit out of balance. Some universities were willing to accept a little bit of hate over here, but no hate over here, and that’s not OK.” 

“While I realize there’s a lot of gray area when it comes to figuring out exactly where that line is, I do think it’s important everybody adhere to those basic principles,” Shapiro said. “And there are many colleges and universities here in Pennsylvania that are … I think, candidly, Penn lost its way. They are working to get back. There’s some important work there happening under their interim president. I think they are moving in the right direction there, and many other universities are as well.”

Shapiro said that while a good amount of campus anti-Semitism related to students, it also “had a whole lot to do with some faculty.”

”And I think it was important that university leaders are holding faculty accountable as well, so that they are teaching actual facts and that they are not encouraging students to break the rules, and that we have order and discipline on campus,” he added.