Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) sharply criticized Haverford College President Wendy Raymond during a congressional hearing on May 7, accusing her of evading accountability over the school’s failure to confront antisemitism on campus. The exchange marked another high-profile confrontation as lawmakers continue to scrutinize university leaders over their handling of antisemitic incidents since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel.
Stefanik pressed Raymond on a student group’s statement calling for the “complete dismantling of the apartheid settler colonial state of Israel by all means necessary.” She asked, “What does ‘by all means necessary’ mean to you?” Raymond replied by reading from prepared notes: “Invoking that kind of terminology is repugnant.”
When asked what disciplinary action was taken, Raymond paused, repeated her scripted remarks, and dodged the question. “I’m not asking you if they’re repugnant; I’m asking about the disciplinary action,” Stefanik said firmly. “Was there any disciplinary action taken?” Raymond replied, “I will not be talking about individual cases here.”
Stefanik continued, asking about a professor who posted in support of the October 7 terror attacks, calling them a “historic moment.” Raymond called the post “incredibly harmful” but again refused to confirm whether any investigation or disciplinary action had taken place. “Investigations happen in all such cases,” she said vaguely. When pressed further, she repeated, “I will not be talking about individual cases.”
The congresswoman also questioned reports from litigation against Haverford alleging an administrator told Jewish students they “should not expect to feel safe and should instead be brave.” Raymond responded, “That statement does not comport with those administrators that I know.”
Stefanik closed with a strong rebuke: “For the American people watching, you still don’t get it. Haverford still doesn’t get it. It’s a very different testimony than the other presidents who are here today who are coming with specifics. So again this is completely unacceptable and it’s why this committee has stepped in, because higher education has failed to address the scourge of antisemitism putting Jewish students at risk.”
