Professor Amy Wax, a senior lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, has filed a lawsuit against the university following her year-long suspension during which she will receive only half her salary. Wax claims the university violated her constitutional rights and implemented racially discriminatory speech policies.
In a lawsuit filed with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Wax claims the university operates under a double standard that disadvantages her. According to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the lawsuit alleges Penn allowed other professors to make "far more harmful comments about Jewish people without disciplining them in the same manner."
The legal filing argues that "the racially discriminatory Speech Policy has created and facilitated a racially hostile environment at Penn because antisemitic speech is given special solicitude, while academic speech discussing race in ways that Penn finds unacceptable, such as Plaintiff Wax's, is punished."
The university contends that Wax demonstrated "callous and flagrant disregard" for students, faculty, and staff, subjecting them to "intentional and incessant racist, sexist, xenophobic and homophobic actions and statements."
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Wax defended her position, arguing that her words were taken out of context and explaining that her views are more nuanced and complex than portrayed. "I only regret that I am sufficiently frank, and blunt, and forthright," she stated.
A Jewish, controversial academic prodigy
Wax, born in 1953, grew up in a traditional Jewish family in Troy, New York. Her academic achievements are remarkable: she graduated with great honors from Yale in biochemistry and molecular physics, earned a Marshall Scholarship to study at Oxford, and simultaneously completed medical and law degrees at Harvard. Before entering legal academia, she practiced as a neurologist for five years in New York.
Throughout her career, Wax has become a controversial figure in American academia due to her provocative statements on race and culture. In 2017, she published an article asserting that "not all cultures are equal" in preparing people for an advanced economy, and stated in an interview that "everyone wants to migrate to countries ruled by white Europeans" due to their "superior" values. That same year, she ignited controversy by claiming she had never seen a Black student finish at the top of their class at the law school – an assertion strongly refuted by the faculty dean.
At a conservative conference in 2019, Wax sparked further outrage when she stated that the US would be better off with "more white people and less non-whites." She also criticized Asian immigration, declaring that "as long as most Asians support Democrats and help to advance their positions, I think the United States is better off with fewer Asians and less Asian immigration."
Antisemitism at the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania was among the prestigious academic institutions in the US where clear antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents emerged during the Iron Swords War. University President Elizabeth Magill was compelled to resign following criticism of her lenient approach to antisemitism on campus.
The resignations followed a turbulent week during which the presidents of three leading universities – Pennsylvania, Harvard, and MIT – testified before Congress. During their testimony, they avoided defining calls for Jewish extermination as violations of university regulations. In response, 74 lawmakers (71 Republicans and three Democrats) called for their dismissal.
Concurrently, the University of Pennsylvania suspended the "Delta Sigma Phi" student fraternity for 18 months after its members posted materials mocking the Israeli hostages' flyers. The fraternity must undergo a "cultural change process" before it can resume activities.
As previously reported, responding to the university presidents' congressional testimony, one of the University of Pennsylvania's major donors announced the cancellation of a $100 million donation. This decision followed University President Elizabeth (Liz) Magill's evasion of providing a clear answer regarding antisemitic expressions on campus.
In a letter, Ross Stevens, owner of Stone Ridge Holdings, withdrew his donation after being "horrified" by the university president's stance. "I have clear grounds to rescind Penn's $100 million of Stone Ridge shares due to the conduct of President Magill. At risk of stating the absolutely obvious, any employee of Stone Ridge that made equivalently discriminatory statements about any group would be immediately terminated for cause," he wrote.
