Claudine Gay Resigns as President of Harvard University

Claudine Gay announced on January 2 that she is stepping down as Harvard University president. Dr. Gay had served as president for only six months. She was the first African American to lead Harvard in its nearly 400-year history. The resignation came after Dr. Gay faced harsh criticism from many members of the Harvard community for her handling of anti-Semitism on campus and for her testimony before Congress on the issue. Dr. Gay also was accused of plagiarism in her Ph.D. dissertation and in some published works. “This is not a decision I came to easily,” Dr. Gay said in a message to the Harvard community. “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. 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 served as an assistant professor and then tenured associate professor at Stanford University before being recruited to Harvard in 2006 as a professor of government. She was also...