The embattled Haitian-American president of the prestigious Harvard University in Massachusetts on Tuesday cited racism in her abrupt resignation letter submitted to members of the Harvard community.
Dr. Claudine Gay, 53, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who became Harvard’s 30th president on Jul. 1, 2023, resigned amid heightened allegations of plagiarism in her scholarly work and increased political pressure, primarily by some Republican Members of Congress, over responses she made on Dec. 5 in congressional testimony about antisemitism at Harvard University.
“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,” said Dr. Gay in her letter, who, in her biography, is considered “a leading scholar of political behavior, considering issues of race and politics in America”. “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,” added Dr. Gay, the first Black and second woman to head the illustrious institution. “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.”
Dr. Gay, whose tenure was the shortest in Harvard’s history since it was founded in 1636, also said it was “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,” said Dr. Gay, who was recruited to Harvard in 2006 as a professor of government.
According to her biography, she was also appointed as a professor of African and African American Studies in 2007 and was named the Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government in 2015.
“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,” Dr. Gay said. “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,” she added.
“I believe we have within us all that we need to heal from this period of tension and division and to emerge stronger,” continued Dr. Gay, a tenured professor, who will return to the faculty. “I had hoped with all my heart to lead us on that journey, in partnership with all of you. As I now return to the faculty, and to the scholarship and teaching that are the lifeblood of what we do, I pledge to continue working alongside you to build the community we all deserve.”
On Tuesday, Harvard announced that its provost and chief academic officer, Dr. Alan M. Garber, a physician, who is also an economist, will temporarily replace Dr. Gay until the university finds a permanent president.
Conservatists and critics said Dr. Gay and two other university presidents were too evasive in replying to what was considered to be “insufficient and legal responses” to questions from Republicans in the early December congressional hearing. The Republicans had pressed for the university presidents’ views on whether students should be disciplined for calling for the genocide of Jews.
The presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sally Kornbluth, and the University of Pennsylvania, M. Elizabeth Magill, respectively, also appeared before Congress.
Since the hearing, pressure, primarily in Conservative circles, has been mounting for the university presidents to resign. Magill submitted her resignation four days later.
In her resignation letter on Tuesday, Dr. Gill seemingly sought to dismiss escalating accusations, primarily in Conservative circles, about plagiarism in her scholarly work.
“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,” stressed Dr. Gay, who, prior to becoming president of Harvard University, had spent five years heading Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences as the Edgerley Family Dean. She previously served as dean of social science from 2015 to 2018.
Her biography states that, before joining the Harvard faculty, Dr. Gay was an assistant professor of political science at Stanford University from 2000 to 2005, and an associate professor (tenured) from 2005 to 2006.
According to the biography, Dr. Gay earned a B.A. in economics from Stanford University, where she received the Anna Laura Myers Prize for best senior thesis in the department.
In 1998, she earned her Ph.D. at Harvard, “receiving the Toppan Prize for best dissertation in political science”, the biography says.
