John Smith
Dec 11, 2023 - 08:10

Pressure Harvard President Claudine Gay Penn Liz Magill resignation

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik calls for Harvard President Claudine Gay to step down amid claims of antisemitism on campus.

The University of Pennsylvania's Liz Magill has stepped down as president, shifting the spotlight to Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, criticized Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth for their response to allegations of antisemitism on their campuses. Stefanik called for Gay to be removed from her position and received support from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and a group of faculty members.

Gay has apologized for her remarks and acknowledged that her words matter. She has also vowed to challenge calls for violence against the Jewish community. Despite this, some major donors, such as billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, remain critical of Gay and have called for her resignation.

Harvard is one of 14 colleges under investigation by the Department of Education for discrimination involving shared ancestry, covering both Islamophobia and antisemitism. Gay, a political scientist, was inaugurated as Harvard's 30th president in July and has been vocal in her support of Jewish students' concerns.

Alumni donors have called for reforms to support Jews on campus and have warned that they will withdraw their donations if those steps are not taken. Business leaders and alumni have criticized Gay and her counterparts over their perceived inaction in combating antisemitism on their campuses. However, criticism from Harvard's community has largely framed discrimination on campus as a systemic issue, not a moral failing on Gay's part.

More than 300 Harvard faculty members have signed a petition urging officials to resist calls for Gay's removal. Individual faculty have also expressed their support for Gay on social media. Despite the criticism, Gay's willingness to take accountability in the face of criticism may determine whether she ultimately steps down.

The Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, the university's governing organizations, are meeting amid pressure on Gay to step down. A Harvard spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.