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The President of Harvard University, Claudine Gay, resigned on Tuesday amid criticism over allegations of plagiarism and her handling of anti-Semitism on campus, as reported by the prestigious US school’s student newspaper.
Gay faced scrutiny in recent months following reports that she failed to properly cite scholarly sources in her academic work, leading to the shortest presidency in the university’s history. The most recent allegations, published anonymously in a conservative online outlet, added to the controversy.
In addition to the plagiarism accusations, Gay faced a scandal when she declined to definitively state whether advocating for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s code of conduct during congressional testimony last month. Although the Harvard Corporation supported her after the congressional appearance, they did criticize her response to the October 7 attack in Israel amid the campus community’s reaction to the conflict in Gaza.
Over 70 lawmakers, including two Democrats, had called for her resignation, and several high-profile Harvard alumni and donors also urged her departure. However, more than 700 Harvard faculty members signed a letter in support of Gay.
Claudine Gay, 53, a professor of political science born in New York to Haitian immigrants, became the first Black president of the 368-year-old Harvard University in July. The university has not yet responded to requests for comments on her resignation.
