University of Pennsylvania Refuses to Comment on Alum’s Arrest in CEO Murder
The University of Pennsylvania has declined to comment on the arrest of suspected gunman Luigi Mangione, who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the institution. Mangione, a former engineering student, was arrested in connection with the ambush murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.
Despite repeated requests from Fox News Digital, a UPenn spokesperson only shared that Mangione graduated from the university with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering, minoring in mathematics, and was part of the Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society for Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Cornell Law Professor William Jacobson suggested that the university’s reluctance to comment may be due to fear of offending liberal students, as the campus has a history of anti-American, anti-Israeli, and antisemitic outbursts and protests.
The university has also come under fire for the behavior of one of its assistant professors, Julia Alekseyeva, who posted TikTok videos appearing to praise Mangione. Alekseyeva has identified as a “socialist and ardent antifascist” and has been criticized for her actions.
In contrast, the headmaster of Mangione’s high school, the Gilman School, issued a statement expressing condolences to the family of the deceased and the victims of the murder.
The University of Pennsylvania’s silence on the matter comes after former President Liz Magill’s controversial refusal to condemn calls for genocide against Jewish people during a congressional hearing last year, which ultimately led to her resignation. Jacobson noted that it is “odd” that the university is not offering generic condolences about the death without commenting on the suspect’s guilt or innocence.