JTA – Jewish Students at Connecticut College celebrated in march when he successfully pressured the president of his school to drop his plans to host a fundraiser at a golf club with an alleged anti-Semitic and racist history.
But some were pushed back this week when they learned who would be their new interim leader: a university administrator with anti-Semitic baggage.
The liberal arts college in New London announced Thursday that it is appointing Leslie Wong, a member of its board of trustees, as its interim president beginning July 1, until the board identifies a permanent hire. Jewish student activists noted a key point on Wong’s resume: his seven-year tenure as president of San Francisco State University, which grappled with allegations that the school promoted “institutional antisemitism”. .
Davy Schulman, a graduate of Connecticut College and co-president of University Hillel, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “I find it incredible that Connecticut College decided to appoint an antisemitic interim president right after our previous antisemitic president resigned “
“I feel deeply dismayed by the administration’s continued disregard for students of all identities, and Jewish students in particular,” Shulman said. “I worry about what incoming Jewish students will think when they learn about the history of their new president.”
Wong is a Chinese-Mexican psychologist who has worked in higher education for more than four decades and led San Francisco State from 2012 to 2019. Life on campus, including a protest by anti-Zionists who disrupted a campus visit by the Mayor of Jerusalem, and a school information fair for marginalized students that intentionally excluded Campus Hillel from participating Was.
Leslie Wong, then-president of San Francisco State University, speaks at the university’s Bold Thinking campaign event, April 4, 2019. (YouTube Screenshot: Used in accordance with section 27A of the Copyright Act)
An investigation by Jay of the Jewish News of Northern California revealed that, while Wong lamented these incidents, ordered an investigation into the handling of the school, and met several times with Jewish representatives, he did not take steps to address Jewish concerns. Expressed displeasure even after spending so much time. The investigation found that he partially blamed Hillel for an incident involving a visit by the mayor of Jerusalem, and told Jewish groups that he would “not play favorites.”
In a 2017 interview with the paper amid controversy, Wong also refused to say whether Zionists were welcome on campus, saying “Am I comfortable opening the door to everyone? God, not at all. I don’t like that.” I am not the kind of person who gets into such things. He later apologized for his comments.
Students at Universiti Hillel wrote an email to Wong stating that the school had “a problem with institutionalized antisemitism” and that he had failed to address it; The executive director of Hillel, the local Jewish Community Relations Council, and a Jewish studies professor on campus also spoke out against him. The chancellor of California State University and the state’s Jewish Legislative Caucus also attended; Pro-Israel students also filed a lawsuit against Wong and the university, which was settled in 2019.
That year, Wong retired from university leadership and joined the Connecticut College Board.
The college defended his appointment in a statement to JTA. “Dr. Wong is a nationally respected leader in higher education whose commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has been evident throughout his academic career,” it said, adding 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 communication with affected parties.
“These efforts have listened to stakeholders, provided accountability, and enabled the university to move forward,” the college said.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat addresses students at the University of San Francisco on April 6, 2016, as pro-Palestinian protesters protest in the background. (Jerusalem Municipality)
Wong will assume the interim presidency at a time when Jewish students on campus are on the rise — and newly organized. Campus Hillel leaders had helped found a coalition of student groups that organized against past president Catherine Bergeron over the golf club fundraiser controversy and a litany of other complaints related to administrative support of campus diversity initiatives. To oust Bergeron, students staged a 10-day sit-in at the campus administration building. The campus Hillel building also served as a meeting place for student activists taking action against Bergeron.
Shulman said whether such activism could be repeated with Wong is unclear. The college is now on summer break, making organizing a challenge. Wong will only be in this leadership role for a short period of time. And he comes with a strong track record of promoting diversity and inclusion on other matters, including serving in a diversity-focused role with the NCAA Board of Governors.
“I think the Jewish population has the most reason to be angry,” Schulman said. “I’ll be interested to see: does everyone come together like we did when all the marginalized students were under attack? I think it’s possible.”
