UPenn Provost Resigns After Likening Charlie Kirk to ‘Hitler Youth,’ Keeps Professor Role
Michael Mann has resigned from his administrative role after sharing a social media post that likened conservative commentator Charlie Kirk to the 'Hitler Youth.'
Opponents say this demonstrates how far university leaders will go to protect left-wing faculty, even when they openly smear conservatives with historically loaded comparisons.
Michael Mann, a climate activist and vice provost at the University of Pennsylvania, has resigned from his administrative role after sharing a social media post that likened conservative commentator Charlie Kirk to the “Hitler Youth.”
The controversy erupted after Kirk’s assasination at a Utah Valley University event in September. Instead of condemning the violence, Mann mocked it as “white on white violence.”
Senior administrator at the University of Pennsylvania Michael Mann is on an unhinged generational run on X, reposting comments calling Charlie Kirk the “head of Trump’s Hitler Youth.”
Mann also wrote: “The white on white violence has gotten out of hand.”
Does UPENN agree with… pic.twitter.com/YQy3mfyqxD— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 11, 2025
Mann gained notoriety for promoting climate change activism and has frequently inserted himself into political debates. In the past, he hinted at violent resistance to President Trump’s education policies, referencing the Second Amendment in ways critics interpreted as threatening.
His recent decision to boost a post comparing Kirk’s student movement to Nazi youth groups, and to joke about the attempt on Kirk’s life, fits a larger pattern of incendiary remarks. Critics of the university’s response say this demonstrates how far university leaders will go to protect left-wing faculty, even when they openly smear conservatives with historically loaded comparisons.
In an announcement on his personal website, Mann resigned his post as vice provost saying, “I don’t feel that I can forsake the public scholarship and advocacy that I am doing and have thus decided to step down from the [Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action] role.”
He will retain his tenured faculty position and continue serving as director of the Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media.
Critics argue that Penn’s decision illustrates a stark double standard.
Seth Cyr, a second-year undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, told Campus Reform that those who lead educational institutions, such as Mann, should be more open to greater scrutiny of their speech given their responsibilities in educating the next generation.
“While I support the freedom of speech of all Americans, I believe in the right to criticize or scrutinize the speech of leaders, especially those responsible for teaching the next generation,” Cyr said. “Ultimately it is the employer who must determine if they are a good representative of their values, something which I believe Penn doesn’t see in Prof. Mann’s remarks.”
[RELATED: UPenn donor halts multimillion-dollar pledge, demands his name be removed from building]
The episode comes amid ongoing national debates about free speech on campus. Elite universities often claim to uphold open dialogue, yet their enforcement of speech codes and disciplinary standards appears to fall along partisan lines.
By retaining Mann despite his controversial record, Penn underscores what many see as selective enforcement: conservatives face sanctions for mild criticism, while progressives are protected even after extreme comments.
Mann has not issued a public apology, nor has Penn indicated that further action will be taken. The case raises questions about whether academic freedom is being used as a shield for partisan activism rather than a principle applied equally.
Campus Reform reached out to the University of Pennsylvania, Penn College Republicans, and Penn Democrats for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
