Harvard President Resignation Ignores Plagiarism Accusations and ‘Genocide of Jews’ Testimony, Instead Cites ‘Racial Animus’

January 2, 2024

Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned amidst the discovery of numerous instances of plagiarism, but scrutiny over her presidency began when she refused during a congressional hearing to say unequivocally that calls for the genocide of Jews would violate Harvard’s conduct policy.

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth also appeared at the hearing and both also refused to say whether the call for genocide of Jews violates their schools conduct policies.

Magill resigned days after that hearing. Kornbluth has, thus far, refused to resign.

Billionaire Harvard graduate and donor, Bill Ackman, the CEO at Pershing Square Capital Management, has been a vocal advocate for the resignation of the three university presidents since the hearing. In response to Gay’s resignation, Ackman posted on X, “Et tu Sally?” in reference to Kornbluth still having not resigned.

Et tu Sally?

— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) January 2, 2024

Gay was the first Black president in Harvard history — and now holds the dubious honor of having the shortest tenure of any president in Harvard history.

In her resignation letter, Gay wrote that “racial animus” had fueled the “personal attacks and threats” against her. There was, however, no mention of her statements in the congressional hearing or the accusations of plagiarism.

Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Christopher Rufo criticized Gay’s resignation letter as “the poison of DEI ideology” and posted on X that he’s “glad she’s gone”:

This is Claudine Gay's resignation letter. Rather than take responsibility for minimizing antisemitism, committing serial plagiarism, intimidating the free press, and damaging the institution, she calls her critics racist. This is the poison of DEI ideology. Glad she's gone. pic.twitter.com/WlqMKLn6pA

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) January 2, 2024

Congressional candidate Blake Masters (R-Ariz.) also cited the “poisonous DEI system” in commenting on Gay’s resignation:

Claudine Gay may be gone from Harvard but the poisonous DEI system that elevates mediocrity and punishes success, all on the basis of race, remains in place.

It’s time to defund elite universities, tax their endowments, and force them to restore colorblind equality.

— Blake Masters (@bgmasters) January 2, 2024

Gay, 53, will continue to serve on Harvard’s faculty.

Photo, top: Former Harvard President Claudine Gay / Source: News.Harvard.Edu