On Tuesday, Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl reacted to the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all saying that calling on the genocide of Jews was not a specific violation of their universities' codes of conduct.
During a House committee hearing on the rise of antisemitism on college campuses on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) pressed the college presidents to say whether or not calling for Jewish genocide was against their college's rules, which the presidents all refused to admit constituted as bullying or harassment unless targeted at specific individuals.
🚨🚨🚨Presidents of @Harvard @MIT and @Penn REFUSE to say whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” is bullying and harassment according to their codes of conduct. Even going so far to say it needs to turn to “action” first. As in committing genocide.
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) December 5, 2023
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND… pic.twitter.com/hUY3SgoOOi
Pearl, a Jewish American who has been outspoken in his support of Israel, shared the video of Stefanik grilling the university presidents and said on Twitter that he couldn't "believe" what he was hearing from the school leaders.
"Am I hearing this right? The Presidents of MIT, Penn and Harvard are saying that calling for THE GENOCIDE OF JEWS, is a violation of code of conduct, DEPENDING ON THE CAUSE AND EFFECT? You mean an action must take place for it to be a violation? I can't believe what I'm hearing!"
Am I hearing this right? The Presidents of MIT, Penn and Harvard are saying that calling for THE GENOCIDE OF JEWS, is a violation of code of conduct, DEPENDING ON THE CAUSE AND EFFECT? You mean an action must take place for it to be a violation? I can't believe what I'm hearing! https://t.co/RIqWiTlJWb
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) December 5, 2023
RELATED: Auburn basketball's Pearl, staff show support of Israel in season opener
Pearl wrote in a letter last month that was read aloud on the U.S. Senate floor, "College rhetoric is full of misinformation. Students need the facts and the history that underpins it. They need exposure to people from different backgrounds. They also need opportunities to come together to find common ground through prayer, spirituality, and honest dialog. That is how we end this cycle of hate and eradicate genocide. The unwillingness of universities to publicly condemn Hamas for their genocide and hostage-taking breaks my heart."
"I come to you out of love for my country, love for my Jewish faith, and love for all of our college students," he continued. "Please stand with me to defend all three from antisemitism and urge Congress and the Biden administration to enforce the protection of Jewish students and foster an environment for them to grow, thrive, and learn the truth."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email trent.baker@1819news.com.
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