Read Harvard's statement saying that president Claudine Gay is the 'right leader' for the university as it faces continued accusations of failing to condemn antisemitism on campus
- President Claudine Gay is staying on at Harvard despite calls for her resignation over her response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- Tension has mounted on campus since October and Gay has been accused of failing to condemn antisemitism.
Harvard confirmed on Tuesday morning that its president, Claudine Gay, would stay in post despite intense criticism from some students, alumni, and politicians over what they say is the Ivy League college's failure to condemn antisemitism.
Tension has mounted on campus since attacks between Israel and Palestine started in October. Gay, as a figurehead for the university, has been accused of failing to condemn antisemitism.
The Harvard Corporation, one of its governing boards, said in a statement Tuesday that despite the controversies, it still saw Gay as the "right leader."
The statement follows a congressional hearing last Wednesday in which Gay and two other Ivy League leaders, MIT's president Sally Kornbluth and University of Pennsylvania's president Elizabeth Magill, were questioned on how they responded to antisemitism on campus following the eruption of conflict in Israel and Gaza. Magill resigned last week.
While confirming its backing for Gay, Harvard's statement acknowledged some failings in its handling of its response to the events in the Middle East and the reaction on campus. It also acknowledged accusations of plagiarism in Gay's previous academic work.