Penn Will Sanction Amy Wax, the Law Prof Who Invited a White Nationalist to Speak to Her Class

The University of Pennsylvania will sanction controversial law professor Amy Wax for a major infraction of the university’s behavioral standards following a decision by a university committee made public Monday.

Wax — who has called into question the academic ability of Black students, invited white nationalist Jared Taylor to her classroom, and said the country would be better off with fewer Asians and less Asian immigration — will be suspended for one year at half pay with benefits intact. She also will face a public reprimand issued by university leadership, the loss of her named chair and summer pay, and a requirement to note in her public appearances that she is not speaking for or as a member of the Penn Carey Law school or Penn.

But she will not be fired or lose her tenure.

“These findings are now final…,” Penn said in a statement, noting the five-member hearing board’s determination that Wax “violated the university’s behavioral standards by engaging in years of flagrantly unprofessional conduct within and outside of the classroom that breached her responsibilities as a teacher to offer an equal learning opportunity to all students.”

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Sanctions initially were handed down by a Penn hearing board in June 2023 and upheld by former Penn president Liz Magill, but Wax appealed the decision, which kicked off a review by Penn’s Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility. That group decided that proper procedures were followed, the university said, which means the sanctions can take effect.

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The decision, which comes after more than two years of university proceedings, marks the first time in at least 20 years that a tenured professor has been sanctioned after the full faculty senate process was followed.

“Academic freedom is and should be very broad,” Penn provost John L. Jackson, Jr. wrote in a letter of reprimand that will be published in the Almanac on Tuesday. “Teachers, however, must conduct themselves in a manner that conveys a willingness to assess all students fairly. They may not engage in unprofessional conduct that creates an unequal educational environment.

“The Board has determined that your conduct failed to meet these expectations, leaving many students understandably concerned that you cannot and would not be an impartial judge of their academic performance. It is imperative that you conduct yourself in a professional manner in your interactions with faculty colleagues, students, and staff. This includes refraining from flagrantly unprofessional and targeted disparagement of any individual or group in the university community.”

In her Aug. 11, 2023 letter explaining her decision to uphold the hearing board’s recommendations, Magill said the case wasn’t easy, noting Wax is an “award-winning teacher” and the importance of academic freedom.

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[Editor’s Note: Professor Wax will be speaking at the upcoming American Renaissance conference.]