State and local lawmakers held a hearing on Trump’s anti-DEI policies on local campuses. University leaders didn’t show.

Philadelphia and state lawmakers wanted to hear from local university leaders Friday about how their institutions were grappling with the Trump administration’s targeting of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The problem was, the university reps didn’t show up.

Members of Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania General Assembly held a hearing in Council chambers Friday examining the effects that President Donald Trump’s threats of funding cuts to institutions with DEI programming have had on local college campuses. Several other universities were invited to participate in the hearing and no representatives heeded the call.

An executive order Trump signed in January refers to DEI as “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral” and orders all federal agencies to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.”

The University of Pennsylvania was specifically on the hot seat Friday — the university scrubbed its websites of DEI initiatives after Trump’s executive order threatening funding cuts to universities that utilize diversity efforts.

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who introduced a resolution for Friday’s Education Committee hearing on DEI, said that Penn “refused” to show up Friday and that she was “disappointed and insulted” by Penn’s actions in response to Trump’s executive order. Professors, legal experts, and other stakeholders of local college campuses were in attendance.

“If Penn continues to wave the white flag, we can only expect more of the same,” Gauthier said.

Harrison Feinman, a spokesperson for Gauthier, said Council is considering its options for what actions can be taken in response to Penn’s failure to participate in Friday’s hearing.

A spokesperson for Penn did not comment on why a university administrator was not there in person.

Penn sent in written testimony from Jeffrey Cooper, vice president for government and community affairs, which said that Penn is “anchored in equal opportunity, expanding access and embracing diversity,” but that it follows the law and its practices may change based on how courts rule and how policies shift at the federal level.

Late last month, Penn, along with other colleges, signed on to a letter criticizing “undue government intrusion” into their operations.

Penn has received other forms of pushback from the Trump administration. In March, the administration paused $175 million in funding for the university as punishment allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete in 2022, which the U.S. Department of Education claims was a federal civil rights law violation. Penn maintains that the university was in full compliance with National Collegiate Athletic Association rules at the time and remains so. The Trump administration has demanded Penn apologize for Thomas’ participation. Thursday was the deadline for Penn to meet these demands and neither the university nor the White House has commented on it.

Other lawmakers, clearly displeased by the absence of a Penn representative, addressed their questions for Penn president J. Larry Jameson to a vacant chair adorned with a paper Penn logo.

“Are you only available to talk in hearings about antisemitism? … We have dignity. Equal dignity is to all humans. We have seen you in public hearings on the topic of antisemitism, but you are not here, and our topic is the treatment of Black, brown, and other individuals,” said State Sen. Art Haywood (D., Philadelphia) about Penn, referring to hearings in Congress on campus antisemitism.

After Haywood’s line of questioning, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chair of the Education Committee, said: “Those were very appropriate questions. It’s unfortunate there’s no one here right now in this moment to answer those questions.”

Councilmember Kendra Brooks, Council minority leader and member of the Working Families Party, said she wanted to put her questions on the record “since we’re only allotted an empty chair.”

Jefferson, Villanova, Temple, Princeton, and Harvard Universities and Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges were also invited to the hearing, according to a list provided by Haywood’s office, but did not show.

Temple was unable to send a representative due to it being commencement week at the university, which included four graduation ceremonies on Friday, according to spokesperson Stephen Orbanek. Thomas praised Temple for some of its DEI efforts.

Spokespeople for Jefferson and Villanova did not immediately return a request for comment. A Drexel spokesperson said the school was not invited to testify on DEI. Temple and Drexel provided written testimony for a second resolution before Council on Friday.

Princeton and Harvard, despite their lack of attendance, received praise Friday for opposing Trump’s policies. Gauthier contrasted those institutions with Penn, which, she said, “cowers in the corner.”