(JTA) – The president of Oberlin College, which has been at the center of a number of free speech controversies and faced criticism for its handling of a professor who posted antisemitic remarks on social media, announced his resignation as of June 30. Marvin Krislov, 56, announced Sept. 5 that this year would be his last at the Ohio school.

According to his official bio, Krislov was instrumental in creating an environmental action and sustainability project, and a major expansion of the college’s physical plant. But the past academic year also included a number of nationally reported controversies. Among them were complaints from alumni and faculty that the school had done too little to censure Joy Karega, an assistant professor of rhetoric whose Facebook posts excoriated Israel in ways that many found antisemitic. One accused Israel and “Rothschild-led bankers” of responsibility for downing a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine in 2014. Another suggested that Israel was behind the attack on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris. Karega was placed on paid leave in August following complaints that an internal investigation launched in March was taking too long. Oberlin alumni also expressed concerns about the tolerance of antisemitism on campus, particularly within the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Karega has not apologized for her posts. Krislov’s statements about Karega emphasized the professor’s right to free speech while clarifying that her views are not shared by the administration. Neither statement condemned the professor outright nor suggested her job might be affected.

CAP: Marvin Krislov