by Anonymous
Note: This article has not been updated since 2021.
David Skeel is a Penn Law professor who serves on Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board, also known as the Fiscal Control Board (FCB). The FCB, referred to as ‘la junta’ by Puerto Ricans, was appointed in 2016 by Barack Obama to restructure Puerto Rico’s $70 billion debt stemming from it’s 2006 financial crisis. The FCB instituted austerity measures, budget cuts and an all out assault on worker rights. In 2018, on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, whose devastation was exacerbated by U.S and FCB action , the International Tribunal on U.S Colonial Crimes in Puerto Rico called for a week of action.
In Philadelphia, one action took form in a protest outside of Skeel’s office at the Penn Law School. On September 20th, 2018, Penn students and members of local Puerto Rican organizations such as Comite Boricua held banners and called for Penn to fire Skeel for his active role in the FCB’s draconian and destructive policies.
The Tribunal stated that “One year later, the destruction of Puerto Rico has not ended, rather it has escalated. Nearly 300 schools have closed. Around 400,000 Puerto Ricans have since left the islands. All aspects of life in Puerto Rico are under attack by the dictatorship of the banks, the Fiscal Control Board. The cause of the suffering of millions of Puerto Ricans is no longer a natural disaster, but rather 120 years of US colonialism and exploitation.” The September protest in Philadelphia was followed by the appearance of “wanted posters” around Penn’s campus with Skeel’s face.
In April 2019, two years after Hurricane Maria, Penn Law celebrated Skeel as the recipient of the Beacon award for “exemplary commitment” to pro bono work in service of the FCB. Over 60 students and alumni of Penn Law responded with a collective statement condemning the decision and citing the inexcusable effects of the FCB’s power in Puerto Rico. The statement argues that “Because of the Board, Puerto Rican workers have lost benefits, including sick leave and vacation pay, and hundreds of their public schools have been shuttered to pay debts to Wall Street banks.” The Toll Public Interest Center Advisory Board that decided on the Beacon award did not reverse their decision, nor did Penn Law acknowledge the outrage. A few months later, protests in Puerto Rico successfully pushed Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign. They rallied to chants of “Ricky renuncia y llévate a la junta”- Ricky, resign and take the junta with you.
Even though Penn Law students, local organizers, and Puerto Ricans both in the U.S and on the island have identified the FCB as a primary architect of Puerto Ricans’ economic hardship and exploitation, Penn continues to ignore Skeel’s direct contribution to said hardship and exploitation. Years of multiple actions decrying Skeels continued position at Penn Law have been met with no response. This is not entirely surprising considering Penn’s lackluster response to the incredibly racist remarks made by Skeel’s colleague at Penn Law, Amy Wax. Penn Law Dean Ted Ruger barred her from teaching mandatory first year courses, but the initial and widely supported demand by students to have her terminated was not fulfilled.
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