USC President Carol Folt retires after a term marred by pro-Hamas demonstrations

The president of the University of Southern California will resign in July, ending a tenure marred by criticism of the school’s tolerance of anti-Semitic pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus.

Carol Folt, 73, took over in 2019 and is expected to return as a permanent professor on campus, reported the Los Angeles Times.

“After more than twenty years of leadership at three major universities,” Folt wrote in a letter announcing her departure.

“I am excited to embrace the freedom that comes with another great leap, and to pass the baton to the next President who will be able to build on our achievements and create a new chapter for this extraordinary institution.”

Folt’s time at the top had been increasingly questioned after the school’s board of trustees offered her an extension to her five-year contract but would not reveal the terms or duration of the new agreement.

Since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 in Israel – which left 1,200 civilians dead – the USC campus has been a hotbed of pro-Hamas organizing and agitation.

A student occupation was dispersed by police in April which led to 93 arrestsand the graduation ceremony on the university’s main stage had to be canceled as the campus continued to expand overrun with Hamas sympathizers.

The Muslim valedictorian’s speech also had to be stopped due to security concerns about what she might say after she was accused of stirring up “anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.”

Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of the USC board of trustees, expressed her gratitude for Folt’s tenure.

“Her dedication to solving the difficult problems before her – both past and present – ​​has never hindered her focus on what lies ahead,” she said in a statement.