Here’s what Philly leaders have to say about Liz Magill’s resignation and Penn’s future

City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said she hopes University of Pennsylvania students will feel safe — and have the right to express their freedom of speech — as the school remains in the national spotlight following the resignation of its president.

Former Mayor and Gov. Ed Rendell said he’s confident that “Penn will get its house in order.” And Mayor Jim Kenney said he’s focused on being welcoming to “people of all faiths.”

But other Philadelphia politicians have been reluctant to comment on the controversy surrounding Penn, the city’s largest employer, in the days since the university’s president resigned amid backlash over her testimony on antisemitism at a congressional hearing last week.

The Inquirer reached out to about a dozen influential Philadelphia politicians and business leaders to ask their thoughts on Liz Magill’s resignation, the future of Penn, and what the university should look for in its next leader. Only two answered those specific questions: Gauthier, whose district includes the university, and Rendell, who teaches at Penn.

Kenney and U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Phila.) offered statements.

» READ MORE: Penn president Liz Magill has resigned following backlash over her testimony about antisemitism

Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker and City Council President Darrell Clarke were among those who declined to comment. A spokesperson for Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, who is expected to be elected Council president in January, said he was unavailable to comment. U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Phila.), whose district includes the university, did not respond to requests for comment.

Here’s what those who responded had to say:

What is your reaction to Liz Magill’s resignation?

“I hope to see a sense of safety return to campus,” Gauthier said in an email. “Students deserve to learn in an environment where they know they will be protected from antisemitism, Islamophobia, and any kind of hate — and they deserve to keep exercising their right to free speech and open expression.”

Are you concerned about Penn’s stability and its impact on the city?

“For years, I have been pushing Penn to provide West Philadelphia with the resources we deserve, but this requires buy-in from the highest levels of the university. The last presidential transition already slowed this critically important effort down and I am disappointed it will likely face even more setbacks because of Liz Magill’s resignation. West Philadelphia cannot afford any more delays.”

What should Penn look for in its next leader?

“This an opportunity for the university to select a president who understands Penn’s obligations to West Philadelphia and will take bold and urgent action to fulfill them.”

What is your reaction to Liz Magill’s resignation?

“My reaction was somewhat sadness because I think Magill is a good person, who in many respects was doing a good job,” Rendell said in an interview. “She had a tough job following [former Penn president] Amy Gutmann.”

Rendell said Magill’s congressional testimony was “just god-awful.”

“The question that was asked was a simple question: ‘Do you think that proselytizing for the genocide of all Jews was appropriate behavior under Penn’s rules and regulations?’” he said. “And she came back and said it depends on the context. Well, it doesn’t depend on the context. It was such a horrific statement. It demonstrated a total lack of understanding, total lack of empathy, and it was almost an unconscionable statement.”

He also speculated that the wording was a corporate answer she was instructed to provide, along with the two other university presidents.

Are you concerned about Penn’s stability and its impact on the city?

“No, Penn is a great organization and it will get its house in order on this issue,” he said, adding that the private university is not limited by the same free speech laws of the U.S. government.

What should Penn look for in its next leader?

“Penn should look for a strong leader who has a good sense of right and wrong ― not legally right and wrong, but morally right and wrong,” he said.

The next president should ensure that hateful speech “doesn’t go unpunished” at the university, and also have conversations with leaders of student groups that praise Hamas, for example, he said.

In response to the same set of questions, the mayor provided the following statement:

“In Philadelphia, we have always prided ourselves on being a welcoming city to people of all faiths and origins. Our focus in the city of Philadelphia is to consider and care for every community in our region that may be experiencing pain and uncertainty due to the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East. We encourage all Philadelphia residents who are in need of support to make use of the city and partner resources available to them.”

Boyle, who represents parts of Philadelphia but whose district does not include Penn, provided the following statement in response to the three questions:

“In addition to being a leading national academic institution, the University of Pennsylvania is also the largest employer in Philadelphia. Therefore, it is crucial to our local economy that Penn has strong and stable leadership.”