"Oh how the mighty have fallen": Internet reacts to Claudine Gay resigning as Harvard president amid allegations of plagiarism

Claudine Gay, the American political scientist and Harvard University president, has resigned after facing allegations of plagiarism and criticism over her comments about antisemitism on campus.

The academic administrator wrote in a letter to the Harvard community on Tuesday, January 2, 2024:

“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. 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."

Gay also announced that she would be returning to her position as a member of the faculty, as per BBC. Netizens have reacted to the news, rejoicing over the alleged forced dismissal. However, some people were unhappy with Gay's resignation.

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Claudine Gay resigns as Harvard University president

Claudine Gay resigned from the position of president of Harvard University on January 2, 2024. The decision came following a month of backlash over her comments on violence against the Jewish students on the campus during the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict. Her tenure of six months was the shortest in the university's 388-year history.

During a tense congressional hearing on December 5, Dr. Claudine Gay agreed that the killing of Jews was abhorrent. However, she added that it would depend on the context of whether such comments were a violation of Harvard's code of conduct regarding bullying and harassment, as per The Guardian.

Several politicians and some high-profile alumni called for Gay to step down over her comments. The campaign against Claudine Gay’s presidency was largely started by conservative activists, including those who oppose diversity and inclusion initiatives, as per HuffPost. They speculated that she was hired because she was Black and not because of her decades of academic work and recognition.

The Harvard board investigated plagiarism allegations against the former Harvard president last month and found two published papers that required additional citations. However, they clarified that she did not violate standards for research misconduct. Gay, however, defended her work saying:

"I stand by the integrity of my scholarship."

More claims that Claudine Gay had failed to properly cite academic sources surfaced just hours before she resigned on Tuesday. The allegations were published anonymously in the conservative Washington Free Beacon newspaper.

The academic administrator had a lot of support from liberals and her staff members, 700 of whom signed a petition opposing calls for her to back down. The university also said she would keep her job despite the controversy. Claudine Gay decided to step down from her position, as per CBS. In her letter to the university, she denied all allegations:

"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."

Netizens have given their opinions about her resignation. The liberals and Black activists are appalled by the news, while conservatives believe it is a step in the right direction. Some of the reactions are given below.

Harvard Corporation stated that Claudine Gay would resume her faculty position after resigning. They added:

"We thank President Gay for her deep and unwavering commitment to Harvard and to the pursuit of academic excellence. While President Gay has acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them, it is also true that she has shown remarkable resilience in the face of deeply personal and sustained attacks."

The presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania also testified before Congress about their campuses’ handling of alleged antisemitism, along with Claudine Gay. As per BBC, The University of Pennsylvania’s president Elizabeth Magill resigned on December 9, 2023, following considerable backlash.