Harvard board says president will stay on amid antisemitism controversy
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Claudine Gay testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee on Dec. 5. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Harvard University's governing board announced Tuesday that Claudine Gay will remain the school's president despite calls for her resignation following her congressional testimony about antisemitism on college campuses.
Why it matters: Universities have grappled with how to respond to the Israel-Hamas war, which has been accompanied by a spike in antisemitic and anti-Muslim threats on campuses across the country.
- Harvard has joined a growling list of schools facing federal investigations over allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Driving the news: "In this tumultuous and difficult time, we unanimously stand in support of President Gay," the board said in a statement Tuesday.
- "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," the statement said.
- But the board also admitted the school erred in its initial response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, saying it "should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation."
Background: Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Dec. 5.
- Gay said Harvard's administration has responded to incidents of antisemitism, but she declined to say what repercussions students, faculty or staff have faced.
The big picture: All three presidents faced especially pointed criticism for their answers to Rep. Elise Stefanik's (R-N.Y.) yes/no question during the hearing on whether "calling for the genocide of Jews" violated the schools' codes of conduct.
- The presidents said it would be context-specific, and depend on whether speech turned into conduct.
- Gay, Magill and Kornbluth all faced calls for their resignations after the hearing.
- "One down. Two to go," Stefanik posted on X Saturday after Magill resigned on Dec. 9.
What they're saying: Harvard's statement Tuesday said calls for genocide "are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values."
- It also noted that Gay apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony, "and has committed to redoubling the University's fight against antisemitism."
Go deeper: 73% of Jewish college students report antisemitism on campus this school year: ADL
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details from the Harvard board's statement.
