'Law & Order' creator calls on UPenn President and Board of Trustees Chair to resign
Dick Wolf, creator of 'Law & Order,' said that 'there is no hope for unification in our community' until the President and Board of Trustees Chair resign.
'The notion that the Wolf Humanities Center contributed to this hate fest, otherwise known as the Palestine Writes Festival, is an abomination,' he said.
The creator of television series Law & Order has called on key figures in the University of Pennsylvania’s (UPenn) administration to resign.
Dick Wolf, who is a graduate of UPenn and the namesake of the university’s Wolf Humanities Center, wrote a letter to UPenn President Liz Magill condemning her promotion of the university’s Palestine Writes Festival and stating that he will cease all donations to the school until she and UPenn Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok resign.
Wolf is known for producing television shows such as the Law & Order, Chicago, and FBI franchises, as well as Murder for Hire, Feds, The Human Factor, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Blood & Money. He has also produced several podcast series, including Dark Woods and Hunted.
On Saturday, UPenn student Jared Mitovich posted Wolf’s letter to Magill, which stated that “things have gone from bad to worse at our beloved UPenn,” to X.
NEW: Penn graduate Dick Wolf — “Law and Order” creator and @WolfHumanities namesake — has gone further than previous comments to @dailypenn, now calling for @Penn President Magill and Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok to resign in a letter to Magill. pic.twitter.com/jzCQy8A3Td
— Jared Mitovich (@jmitovich) October 21, 2023
“Having grown up in New York City where I was raised by a Jewish father and Irish Catholic mother, I have supported many faith traditions and free speech throughout my life,” Wolf wrote. “I do not support hate in my businesses, personal life or philanthropy.”
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“My background and my time at UPenn set the foundation for a 40-year career as a producer of content,” Wolf continued. “I am used to people attacking me for my views and opinions. I’ve never shied away from supporting and fully backing diversity of thought. I wish I could say the same about UPenn’s leadership.”
Wolf called out the double standard between the university’s response to anti-Semitism versus other forms of racism, stating that “[r]acist speech against any other group would never be tolerated.” “The notion that the Wolf Humanities Center contributed to this hate fest, otherwise known as the Palestine Writes Festival, is an abomination,” he continued.
“At this point, the only path forward is for change in leadership at the top,” Wolf concluded. “President Magill, I implore you and Scott Bok to step down from your UPenn positions before any more unnecessary damage to UPenn. Until then, I [...] will end all donations to UPenn.”
He finished the statement by stating that the university’s “leadership has inadequately represented the ideals and values of our university” and that “there is no hope for unification in our community until [Magill and Bok] step aside.”
Campus Reform has reached out to Wolf, Magill, Bok, Mitovich, and UPenn for comment and will update the story accordingly.
