CUNY Grad Center Head Who Hired Anti-Semitic Prof to Leave Position Due to Controversy

CUNY Grad Center Head Who Hired Anti-Semitic Prof to Leave Position Due to Controversy 

Edited by: Fern Sidman

City University of New York (CUNY) President Robin Garrell, who faced widespread criticism for hiring Marc Lamont Hill, a professor with a history of making malicious and egregiously false claims about Israel and one who has repeatedly expressed views that are patently anti-Semitic, has announced her departure from the position, as was reported by the New York Post. After leading CUNY’s Graduate Center for three years, Garrell’s departure comes after a tumultuous tenure steeped in many controversies. She will step down at the end of September, according to an announcement by the school’s chancellor, Matos Rodriguez, the report added.

“CUNY will appoint an interim president in the coming weeks and launch a national search for her successor in the near future,” Chancellor Matos Rodriguez said in a statement, according to the Post report. “In the meantime, we congratulate President Garrell on her accomplishments, thank her for her service to the Graduate Center and CUNY, and wish her well in her future endeavors,” Rodriguez wrote.

The decision to hire Marc Lamont Hill had ignited controversy earlier, as the educator has been known for launching verbal attacks against Israel. His past comments led to his dismissal by CNN due to his inflammatory rhetoric. The Post report also said that the move to bring Hill on board was met with backlash from various quarters, including former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind and City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, both of whom demanded Garrell’s resignation and Hill’s removal from his post.

Garrell’s impending departure has been hailed by Hill’s critics, who view it as a positive step towards curbing the hiring of individuals who are clearly anti-Semitic. However, the Post reported that some remain steadfast in their call for Hill’s removal, expressing that his presence at CUNY remains a stain on the institution.

“This is wonderful news,” former state Assemblyman Dov Hikind said, as was reported by the Post.  “The ouster of the CUNY Graduate Center president sends a powerful message to CUNY campus officials to stop hiring Jew haters.”

“But this is just a first step,” Hikind added. “Marc Lamont Hill has to go, too.”

Echoing Hikind’s sentiments about Hill was Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov. The Post reported that she said in statement, “That Marc Lamont Hill was even considered as a professor at CUNY is reprehensible.  While I must credit the CUNY chancellor for quickly making sure the president who made this awful decision RESIGNS, every day that Marc Lamont Hill keeps his job at CUNY is a stain on this institution. He must be next.

She added that, “Hill must be relieved from his post immediately. I will work tirelessly to make sure it happens.”

Marc Lamont Hill’s past speech about Israel, delivered on the United Nations’ International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, had raised concerns and objections from various quarters, as was reported by the Post. The speech called for the boycott of Israel and contained references to the phrase “river to the sea,” which clearly advocates for the dismantling of Israel. His comments were roundly condemned by the Anti-Defamation League. Hill defended his speech, stating that it was a call for justice in the region and that he did not support anti-Semitism or violence against Jewish people, the Post report added.

This controversy involving Hill is the latest in a series of challenges faced by CUNY College, including a previous incendiary commencement speech by CUNY law school graduate Fatima Mohammed that was replete with scathing invective against Israel, as Mohammed towed the woke, progressive anti-Semitic line. The Post reported that Mohammed accused Israel of encouraging “lynch mobs” and perpetrating violence against Palestinians, while also branding the NYPD as fascist.

As Garrell’s departure approaches and CUNY prepares for a transition in leadership, the ongoing debates around these controversies are likely to continue shaping the discourse surrounding the college’s policies and reputation.