Harvard University President Claudine Gay has resigned following allegations of plagiarism and criticism over her testimony at a congressional hearing. The resignation comes just a month after the president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, also resigned in the wake of the same congressional testimony. Gay, who is Harvard’s first Black president, announced her departure in a letter to the Harvard community.
Conservative activists scrutinized Gay’s academic career after the congressional hearing and uncovered instances of alleged plagiarism in her 1997 doctoral dissertation. Initially, the Harvard Corporation defended Gay, stating that a review of her work found only a few instances of inadequate citation but no evidence of research misconduct. However, the board later discovered two additional examples of duplicative language without appropriate attribution. As a result, Gay will update her dissertation and request corrections.
The Harvard Corporation expressed sadness over Gay’s resignation and thanked her for her commitment to academic excellence. Alan M. Garber, the provost and chief academic officer, will serve as interim president until a replacement is found.
Gay’s resignation was celebrated by conservatives who brought attention to her alleged plagiarism. Activist Christopher Rufo expressed his satisfaction with her departure, criticizing her for minimizing antisemitism, committing plagiarism, intimidating the free press, and damaging the institution. Gay, in her resignation letter, acknowledged the doubt cast on her commitments and the personal attacks she faced.
Some Jewish students at Harvard felt uncomfortable with the campus climate and welcomed Gay’s resignation. Supporters of Gay lamented her departure, viewing it as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Critics of higher education also welcomed the news, claiming that postsecondary education has been taken over by political activists and partisan administrators.
Gay, along with presidents from the University of Pennsylvania and MIT, faced criticism for their responses during the congressional hearing regarding calls for the genocide of Jews. Gay’s answer received backlash from lawmakers and the White House. She later apologized for failing to denounce threats of violence against Jewish students.
The congressional hearing led to discord at Harvard and prompted the House committee to investigate the policies and disciplinary procedures at Harvard, MIT, and Penn. Separate federal civil rights investigations were also opened in response to complaints submitted to the U.S. Education Department.
