ABC 7: Northwestern President Michael Schill resigns amid Trump administration antisemitism investigation

By Eric Horng

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) -- Northwestern University President Michael Schill announced his resignation Thursday.

In a letter to students, Schill defended his record, saying he feels the school has made great progress over the last three years, but acknowledged the many challenges during his tenure.

"I also recognize that difficult problems remain, particularly at the federal level. It is critical that we continue to protect the University's research mission and excellence while preserving academic freedom, integrity, and independence," he said. "As I reflect on the progress we have made and what lies ahead, I believe now is the right time for new leadership to guide Northwestern into its next chapter."

Schill will remain in his role until an interim president is named. He will later return to the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law to teach and conduct research.

We are committed to urging the next president to be a leader in upholding these principles and ensuring that our endowment is invested in institutions that support basic human rights, not genocide or apartheid in Palestine.

Jewish Voice for Peace Northwestern

"It has been my privilege to work alongside extraordinary colleagues and to witness firsthand the resilience, generosity, and strength of the Northwestern community," he said. "From the very beginning of my tenure, Northwestern faced serious and often painful challenges. In the face of those challenges and the hard, but necessary choices that were before us, I was always guided by enduring values of our University: protecting students, fostering academic excellence, and defending faculty, academic freedom, due process and the integrity of the institution."

Schill was recently asked to interview with the House Education and Workforce Committee about allegations of antisemitism on the school's Evanston campus.

Schill was also grilled on Capitol hill over a year ago at a congressional committee hearing about his handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment on the NU campus in the spring of 2024.

President Donald Trump's administration has already frozen nearly $800 million in Northwestern's federal funding while it investigates the allegations.

NU is one of several elite schools being pressed by the administration over similar claims.

"I'm worried about what comes next because they pressure a president out. What else can they do to the university?" said Josh Fleckner, who participated in the encampment.

Fleckner is an alumnus, who helped organize the encampment, which aimed to draw attention to Palestinians dying in the Israel-Hamas war.

"All to stifle, in my view, the free speech of myself and friends who just wanted our money out of weapons that were killing Palestinians," he said.

Schill defended a deal he made with protest organizers to end the days-long encampment, and was questioned about the university's handling of antisemitism complaints.

"Antisemitism is now redefined not just as hatred of Jews, which is something we all oppose, but criticism of Israel, which is something any person of conscience should be able to do in a free country like America," said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago.

As a search for Schill's successor begins, NU professor Laura Beth Nielsen fears growing politicization of academia and hopes the board of trustees, in choosing the next president, hears the concerns of faculty.

"We are committed to research, science, the truth, supporting democratic ideals, supporting the Constitution, and right now those values are at risk," Nielsen said.

Jewish Voice for Peace Northwestern issued the following statement Thursday evening:
"We hope that the next president of Northwestern University ensures that all students have the right to feel safe and free from repression on their campuses, from Evanston to Gaza. We will stand steadfast in our commitment to Palestinian liberation no matter who is appointed, and we, along with other students of conscience, look forward to making Northwestern a leader in standing up to the Trump regime's assault on universities. There has never been a more important time to commit to protecting freedom of speech, the right to protest, and to ensure student safety. We are committed to urging the next president to be a leader in upholding these principles and ensuring that our endowment is invested in institutions that support basic human rights, not genocide or apartheid in Palestine."

Last year, Northwestern instituted a number of changes aimed at protecting the safety of Jewish students.

"As the Board of Trustees begins its search for a new president, it's our hope and expectation that the university continues the important work of addressing antisemitism on campus," said Rebecca Weininger, Midwest senior regional director for the Anti-Defamation League. "Instead of taking those concerns and fears seriously, the administration reached an agreement with the people that were inhabiting the encampment instead of enforcing its own policies."