Conn College addresses antisemitism allegations in interim president's past
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Jun. 13—NEW LONDON — Connecticut College responded Tuesday to a request for comment on the background of its newly appointed interim president, Leslie Wong, who faced allegations of antisemitism while serving as president of San Francisco State University from 2012 to 2019.
Wong, who joined Conn's board of trustees after retiring as the California school's president, will assume Conn's interim presidency July 1.
Named last week by Conn's board of trustees, Wong will temporarily replace Katherine Bergeron, Conn's 11th president, who resigned in May, months after it came to light that she had scheduled a fundraiser at a Palm Beach, Fla., social club said to have a history of discriminating against Blacks and Jewish people.
During Wong's tenure as president of San Francisco State University, the school was sued in federal and state courts by students, former students and community members who alleged the school's administration was guilty of violating their free-speech rights and systemic antisemitism.
"Dr. Leslie Wong is a nationally respected leader in higher education who is well positioned for this important role given his extensive presidential, interim presidential and other senior leadership experience and accomplishments over nearly five decades in higher education," Conn said in a statement provided by John Cramer, the college's vice president for marketing and communications. "His deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has been evident throughout his academic career, and he will work collaboratively with the Board, faculty, students and staff to ensure that we continue to advance the College's commitment to these values."
A federal lawsuit filed in 2017 named San Francisco State University's board of trustees, Wong and other school officials as defendants. It pointed to an ongoing increase in antisemitism on college campuses at the time, claiming "San Francisco State University is among the worst of the worst offenders and is largely recognized as being among the most anti-Semitic campuses in the country."
The suit, which ultimately was dismissed, cited a 2016 incident in which pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a campus speech by the mayor of Jerusalem, Israel, alleging school administrators allowed the protesters to shut down the event. In another incident, the suit claimed, administrators allowed Hillel members to be barred from an event based on the Jewish group's members' religion and ethnicity.
In settling a 2018 discrimination suit in California Superior Court, San Francisco State University agreed to demands that included creating a new faculty position, coordinator of Jewish student life, according to published reports at the time.
"SFSU has a long tradition of student activism and demonstrations, and a commitment to social justice permeates everything done at the university, including during Dr. Wong's tenure there," Conn said in its statement. "Conn's Board of Trustees is aware of the issues related to long-standing tensions between Jewish and Arab students and faculty at SFSU, including before, during and after his tenure."
"The Board considered the entirety of his tenure at SFSU and determined that when difficult issues arose on campus, they were handled professionally, including through extensive direct dialogue with the affected parties," the statement continued. "These efforts allowed concerned parties to be heard, provided accountability and enabled the university to move forward. The Board determined that he led with distinction, integrity and professionalism to heighten understanding and acceptance on campus."
Bergeron's resignation followed student and faculty protests sparked by the February resignation of Rodmon King, the college's dean of institutional equity and inclusion, who stepped down because of the planned fundraiser at the Palm Beach, Fla., club and later complained about Bergeron's "bullying behaviors."
Amid the controversy, students occupied Fanning Hall, the college's administration building, for days, while faculty overwhelmingly endorsed a vote of no confidence in Bergeron and called for her removal by the board of trustees.
Attempts this week to reach students at Conn, which is on break, were unsuccessful.
Editor's note: This version notes that the 2017 federal lawsuit against San Francisco State University ultimately was dismissed.
