Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns for ‘plagiarism’

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After weeks of pressure, Harvard president Claudine Gay, who served the shortest tenure of 6 months in the university’s history, has resigned on multiple accounts of academic ‘plagiarism’. These included instances of failing to properly cite other scholars and ‘duplicative language’. 

Gay’s resignation also came as a result of comments made during a congressional hearing in December. When questioned by Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican Conference, as to whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s code of conduct, Gay replied that Harvard embraces a ‘commitment to free expression’ and that calls would only constitute harassment when put into actionable conduct. 

Gay has since suffered widespread backlash both on campus and in the media with Bill Ackman, billionaire hedge fund manager and Harvard alumnus, leading the campaign for Gay’s resignation. Ackman has also proposed for external candidates to join Harvard’s governing body in a call for operational reform at the university.

At a later congressional hearing Gay, apologised for her comments, stating that calls for the killing of Jews are ‘abhorrent and unacceptable’.

The stakes of the situation clearly go beyond the walls of Harvard and have further aggravated cultural tensions in the US, highlighting ever-present divides over topics like diversity programmes, affirmative action, sex education, critical race theory and intersectionality, particularly on university campuses. Whilst some view Gay’s resignation as a victory for conservatives in the struggle for political dominance in higher education, others are critical of the influence of donors and political interests on Harvard’s actions.

Harvard Provost Alan Garber will replace Gay, who retains her position as a member of Harvard’s faculty, until a new president is appointed.