UPenn Climate Vice Provost Michael Mann Resigns After Controversial Comments on Charlie Kirk

Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist and Vice Provost for Climate Science, Policy, and Action at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), resigned from his administrative role after facing backlash for controversial social media posts following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Mann reposted comments labeling Kirk as the "head of Trump's Hitler Youth," which sparked condemnation, including criticism from Senator Dave McCormick. Mann stated that his resignation was due to conflicts between his climate advocacy and UPenn's institutional neutrality policy adopted in 2024, which restricts university leaders from taking partisan public positions. Despite stepping down from the vice provost role, Mann will continue as a professor and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media. He emphasized that his public scholarship and advocacy work, including his new book "Science Under Siege," remain priorities that conflict with the nonpartisan expectations of his administrative position. UPenn officials clarified that Mann was not fired but that the role requires adherence to the institution's neutrality stance.