Harvard president apologizes over answers in antisemitism hearing

• "When words amplify distress and pain, I don't know how you could feel anything but regret," Gay told the Harvard Crimson in an interview published on Friday.

Driving the news: Gay said she "got caught up" in "an extended, combative exchange about policies and procedures."

• "What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community — threats to our Jewish students — have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged," Gay said.

Catch up quick: A donor to the University of Pennsylvania withdrew a $100 million gift because of school president Liz Magill's statements.

• Gay, Magill and MIT president Sally Kornbluth have faced calls for their resignations regarding congressional testimony they gave.
• Antisemitism, anti-Arab sentiments and hate crimes have increased in the U.S. and on college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Stanford said statements calling for genocide would violate the school's code of conduct for all of its students.

• "Stanford unequivocally condemns calls for the genocide of Jews or any peoples," the university said on X, formerly Twitter.

Of note: More than a dozen House Democrats signed a letter on Friday calling the three presidents' actions "unacceptable," addressed to the governing boards of the universities.

• "We ask you to review and update your school policies and codes of conduct to ensure they protect students from hate," the letter said.
• A Republican-led House committee is launching an investigation into antisemitism at the three schools and other elite colleges in response to Tuesday's hearing.

Go deeper: Penn loses $100 million donation over antisemitism hearing