THAT’S GOOD, BECAUSE THE WHOLE “FELLOW” THING WAS MISGENDERING: Harvard Withdraws Chelsea Manning’s Visiting Fellow Invitation.

The dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government said the college was withdrawing its invitation for Chelsea Manning to be a visiting fellow and apologized for extending the offer, which prompted a former CIA director and the current one to distance themselves from the university.

Former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell earlier Thursday announced his resignation as a senior fellow at Harvard over its decision to invite Manning. Mike Pompeo, the agency’s current director, also canceled a speaking engagement there Thursday night.

“I now think that designating Chelsea Manning as a visiting fellow was a mistake, for which I accept responsibility,” Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf said in a statement posted on the university’s website early Friday. “I still think that having her speak in the Forum and talk with students is consistent with our longstanding approach, which puts great emphasis on the value of hearing from a diverse collection of people.

“But I see more clearly now that many people view a Visiting Fellow title as an honorific, so we should weigh that consideration when offering invitations,” Elmendorf added.

Uh huh. As Noah Rothman says about Harvard’s statement: “It’s really a disgraceful statement. Entirely passive aggressive, unrepentant, and fails to address the issue.”