Criticism has intensified since Harvard President Claudine Gay’s controversial testimony on antisemitism at American universities before a House committee.
Criticism has intensified since Harvard President Claudine Gay’s controversial testimony on antisemitism at American universities before a House committee.
Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay has received the unanimous backing of the university’s top governing body, the Harvard Corporation, amid a tumultuous period marked by calls for her resignation from various donors and politicians.
The Harvard Corporation released a statement affirming its confidence in Gay’s leadership, particularly in guiding the community through current societal challenges.
“Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing,” the Harvard Corporation said.
“In this tumultuous and difficult time, we unanimously stand in support of President Gay,” the group added.
Adding to this support, all five living former presidents of Harvard, including renowned economist Larry Summers, publicly endorsed Gay.
Despite Summers’ previous criticisms of Gay, particularly regarding a controversial anti-Israel statement by Harvard student groups, the joint statement from the former presidents expressed their eagerness to assist Gay in navigating Harvard through this critical period for higher education.
“Fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement,” Summers said.
However, Gay’s position remains contentious. Criticism has intensified since her controversial testimony on antisemitism at American universities before a House committee, which led to the resignation of UPenn President Liz Magill, who testified alongside Gay.
High-profile donors and politicians, including House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, have been vocal in their criticism, with Stefanik condemning Harvard’s support for its president and highlighting the moral failures of its leadership.
“There is a reason why the testimony at the Education Workforce Committee garnered one billion views worldwide. And it’s because those university presidents made history by putting the most morally bankrupt testimony into the Congressional Record and the world saw it,” Stefanik said.
“This is a moral failure of Harvard’s leadership and higher education leadership at the highest levels.”
In contrast, there has been a substantial show of support for Gay from within the Harvard community. Over 700 faculty members have signed a petition backing her, and the Executive Committee of Harvard University’s Alumni Association, along with over 800 Black alumni, have expressed their strong support.
Addressing the controversy, Gay has apologized for her handling of the congressional testimony, committing to intensify the university’s fight against antisemitism. The Corporation, in its statement, acknowledged the need for a more decisive initial response to the issue.
The backdrop of this turmoil includes a rise in antisemitic incidents on campuses nationwide, including Harvard, following the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas and subsequent Israeli strikes on Gaza. Harvard is one of 14 colleges under investigation by the Department of Education for discrimination involving shared ancestry, encompassing both Islamophobia and antisemitism.
Despite the board’s endorsement, critics continue to call for Gay’s removal.
Stefanik has been particularly outspoken, focusing on Gay’s response to questions about Harvard’s code of conduct during the congressional hearing. Additionally, a conservative nonprofit has initiated a public campaign against Gay, and billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, a Harvard graduate, has been a vocal critic, challenging Gay’s academic integrity and questioning the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.
In response to these allegations, the Harvard Corporation conducted an independent review of Gay’s academic work, finding minor issues but no substantial misconduct.
The campus paper, Harvard Crimson, however, reported potential violations of current plagiarism policies in some of Gay’s writings.
This situation at Harvard reflects broader tensions in higher education and society, touching on issues of academic integrity, diversity and inclusion, and the handling of sensitive political and social topics.
