Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay will resign from her position Tuesday afternoon due to the immense backlash she's received over her response to antisemitism on the Harvard campus and her growing plagiarism scandal, according to a report from The Harvard Crimson.
Gay's resignation comes a mere six months and two days into her presidency—the shortest tenure of any president in the university's history.
The Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — is expected to announce the resignation to Harvard affiliates in an email later today. Gay is also expected to make a statement about the decision.
The announcement comes three weeks after the Corporation announced unanimous support for Gay after “extensive deliberations” following the congressional hearing.
Gay first came under fire for her December 5 congressional testimony, in which she gave an absolutely awful response to a question about antisemitism on campus when she wouldn't say if calls for the genocide of the Jewish people violated the university's code of conduct. She backtracked later, but the damage was done. Despite Gay's blatant antisemitism and subsequent allegations of plagiarism, she maintained the Harvard board's confidence.
“In this tumultuous and difficult time, we unanimously stand in support of President Gay,” the Harvard board said in a statement. “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.”
New allegations of plagiarism have been reported as recently as today.
Gay not only had the support of the Harvard board but also Barack Obama, who reportedly “privately lobbied” for her to keep her job. I guess his support wasn't enough to save her.
"It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president," Gay wrote in a letter to the Harvard community. "This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries. But, after consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual."
Related: Good Riddance To Harvard’s Reputation
"It is a singular honor to be a member of this university, which has been my home and my inspiration for most of my professional career. My deep sense of connection to Harvard and its people has made it all the more painful to witness the tensions and divisions that have riven our community in recent months, weakening the bonds of trust and reciprocity that should be our sources of strength and support in times of crisis," she continued.
Rather than take responsibility for her actions, she claimed that she was the victim of racism.
"Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor—two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am—and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus," she wrote. "I believe in the people of Harvard because I see in you the possibility and the promise of a better future. These last weeks have helped make clear the work we need to do to build that future—to combat bias and hate in all its forms, to create a learning environment in which we respect each other’s dignity and treat one another with compassion, and to affirm our enduring commitment to open inquiry and free expression in the pursuit of truth."
Yada, yada, yada. Good riddance to Claudine Gay. Hopefully, Harvard will find a way to move past this controversy and restore its reputation.
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