From left, Claudine Gay, president of Harvard University; M. Elizabeth Magill, president of Penn; Pamela Nadell, a professor at American University; and Sally Kornbluth, president of M.I.T., at a congressional hearing in December. When Nemat Shafik, the president of Columbia University, was asked to appear before Congress to testify about antisemitism on college campuses in December, she cited a scheduling conflict and said she could not attend. The president of the University of Pennsylvania, M. Elizabeth Magill, resigned four days after her appearance at the hearing, where she delivered evasive answers about campus antisemitism. Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, similarly gave vague responses and faced fierce backlash for weeks up to her resignation in January. Lawyers who prepare clients to testify before Congress said that while there are risks to not appearing, it is always an option.

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Persons: Claudine Gay, Elizabeth Magill, Penn, Pamela Nadell, Sally Kornbluth, Nemat Shafik, Shafik, Minouche, Christopher Armstrong, “, you’re, ”, it’s, ” Mr, Armstrong, There’s, Emily Loeb, Block, ” Sharon Otterman Organizations: Harvard University, American University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Education, Workforce, United Nations, Change, Lawyers, Holland, Knight, Jenner Locations: Dubai