NEW YORK — While many have been focused on the controversial statements made by a few leaders of Ivy League institutions about their interpretations of the treatment of antisemitism on campus during a recent congressional hearing, others have been calling into question the newly installed Youngstown State University president Bill Johnson, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Some alumni and donors have been openly sharing their opposition to his leadership and the selection process used by the Ohio school. New York-based designer Nanette Lepore, who hails from Youngstown, has revealed that she will be returning an honorary degree that she received from the school more than a decade ago in response to his appointment. The school’s decision to use a closed-door selection process has irked some supporters.
Lepore, who is also an alumna of the school, is the second high-profile person to return her degree. Following Johnson’s appointment last month, “Modern Family” and “Married…With Children” actor Ed O’Neill, who also knows Youngstown as his home, said he would be returning an honorary doctoral degree that he received from the university.
In a letter sent to the university’s trustees, Lepore said Johnson is a political figure known for his “extremist” views and a “blatant affront” to everything her father, a former professor at the university, cherished about YSU. The 69-year-old Johnson, a Republican, is serving his seventh term representing eastern Ohio. Prior to entering the political field, he had a 26-year career in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel.
Benjamin Keeler, a spokesperson in Johnson’s congressional office, declined comment Tuesday. A media request was not immediately responded to by a YSU spokesperson.
In her letter, Lepore described having had “the immense honor” to deliver the commencement address to the class of 2012 and how “with tremendous pride,” she had spoken of YSU’s impact on her and “our vibrant community.”
“My father, an impassioned artist and YSU professor, dedicated 40 years toward creating an art department that was robust and dynamic. This instilled in me a profound respect for the noble mission of public education. One that values pursuit of knowledge and encourages the arts and self-expression. Today, however, YSU stands accused of betraying its core values,” the letter reads.
Lepore has spoken about how her father loaned her money decades ago so that she could start a fashion company. During her career, she has championed domestic apparel production and has advocated to save New York City’s diminishing Garment District in Midtown, as offshoring continues to intensify.
“Today that pride seems shattered,” she wrote, adding that the degree now “feels like a cruel reminder of what we have lost.” Lepore said that seeing the school abandon its values is “unbearable. YSU was once a beacon of opportunity for so many. The pursuit of education has been replaced by a pursuit of political agendas that have nothing to do with the true purpose of this institution.”
In the email to the trustees that was sent on Sunday, the designer wrote, “This is not the YSU I knew. This is not the YSU my father devoted his life to. This is not the YSU that deserves the respect and admiration of its community.”
