More than a dozen Jewish organizations demanded the “immediate removal” of Northwestern University President Michael Schill and Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Barris on Thursday, one week after Schill testified before Congress on Northwestern’s handling of antisemitic conduct.
The demand comes in response to Northwestern’s April 29 agreement with anti-Israel encampment members, which made several concessions to the protesters and sparked outrage on both sides of the political aisle. Schill was grilled about what is often referred to as the “Deering Meadow agreement” in his May 23 testimony.
Schill’s testimony before the Committee on Education and the Workforce “underscored significant leadership challenges” at Northwestern, according to the announcement. It also claims the university president “has neither enforced Northwestern’s Code of Conduct, nor proposed any credible solution to address these issues” despite numerous attempts to raise concerns regarding antisemitism, discrimination, and racism.
The organizations additionally cited the inconsistencies between Schill’s public statements at the hearing and elsewhere regarding matters including but not limited to the status of the anti-Israel encampment, police availability to remove trespassers from school property, and funding from Qatar.
The demand to remove Barris stems from unsuccessful calls for the Northwestern board chairman to hold Schill accountable following numerous federal, state, civil, and administrative complaints. In 2024 alone, the school was investigated by the Department of Education, a student-led “breach of contract” lawsuit was filed, every Jewish member of the school’s committee on preventing antisemitism resigned, a congressional investigation was launched, and a student-led federal Title VI lawsuit was filed against Northwestern.
Another demand the groups made was that an “Independent Monitor” be appointed to combat antisemitism at the Illinois school and that the monitor be jointly selected by the Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern and two leading Chicago-based Jewish organizations. The monitor would focus on resolving discrimination complaints, enforcing school policies, and coordinating training and education.
After he faced criticism from Jewish groups for the “Deering Meadow agreement,” Schill’s removal was demanded by StandWithUs, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Louis D. Brandeis Center, among others, on May 1. The ADL reiterated this call on May 23 following Schill’s testimony, with Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Burgess Owens (R-UT) calling for his removal.
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The organizations that signed off on the May 30 announcement include StandWithUs, End Jew Hatred, Israel on Campus Coalition, Coalition Against Antisemitism at Northwestern, Latino Coalition for Israel, the Jewish Business Association at Northwestern’s Kellogg school, Jewish Law Students Association at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, and several others.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Northwestern University for comment.