First Black Harvard President, Claudine Gay, to resign amidst plagiarism, antisemitism allegations

Post published:January 3, 2024
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Harvard President Claudine Gay has resigned following a storm of controversy and scandalous issues that have come up in the University.

President Gay made the announcement herself in a letter to the University community on Tuesday- following new questions about her academic work, and a donor revolt over the school’s handling of antisemitism which has only worsened.

What she said

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“It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president.
“After consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.”

Gay did not say when she plans to formally step down but she described the decision as “difficult beyond words.”

“Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigour two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus,” Gay wrote.

What you should know

President Gay’s resignation announcement comes just 6 months into her tenure. The first Black president in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history and the second woman, Gay acknowledged how short her tenure was.

When I became president, I considered myself particularly blessed by the opportunity to serve people from around the world who saw in my presidency a vision of Harvard that affirmed their sense of belonging and their sense that Harvard welcomes people of talent and promise, from every background imaginable, to learn from and grow with one another.

To all of you, please know that those doors remain open, and Harvard will be stronger and better because they do.

“When my brief presidency is remembered, I hope it will be seen as a moment of reawakening to the importance of striving to find our common humanity and of not allowing rancour and vituperation to undermine the vital process of education,” Gay said.

Her presidency faced scrutiny when Harvard Corp. found instances of inadequate citation in her political science work, though no violation of research standards.

However, on December 20, Harvard identified additional instances of “duplicative language without appropriate attribution.” Simultaneously, a House committee broadened its investigation, extending its focus to Harvard’s handling of plagiarism allegations against Gay. Committee Chair Virginia Foxx sought a response from Harvard by December 29.

Gay’s standing further eroded after a December 5 hearing on antisemitism, where she, alongside other university presidents, faced criticism for evasive responses. Video clips of the exchanges garnered widespread outrage. Gay later apologized, denouncing calls for violence or genocide.

Representative Elise Stefanik, a Harvard alum, labelled Gay’s resignation as “long overdue,” citing her “morally bankrupt answers” during the congressional testimony.

Big donors mount pressure on Harvard

The university faced significant donor backlash, with financial support diminishing from various quarters. Billions of dollars in potential contributions hung in the balance, signaling a potential financial blow to Harvard.

Notably, Seth Klarman and Mitt Romney, influential figures with ties to the institution, voiced concerns about Harvard’s handling of the safety of Jewish students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The fallout extended beyond mere criticisms, as donors like Bill Ackman demanded the resignation of President Gay and regularly disseminated negative commentary online.
Alan M. Garber, presently holding the positions of provost and chief academic officer at Harvard, will assume the role of interim president until a suitable successor is identified, as stated in an announcement by the Harvard Corporation on Tuesday.
While the Corporation indicated that the quest for a new president would “commence in due course,” they refrained from providing a specific timeline for the process.

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