Former Harvard President Claudine Gay’s Resignation Was Rigged

It’s not a coincidence that the first black female Harvard President, Claudine Gay, broke the record for having the shortest tenure in the 388 years of the University’s history. After just six months, Gay resigned on Jan. 2, 2023, due to allegations of plagiarism in her academic work. A dispute at a congressional hearing, in which Gay diminished the growing anti-semitism on Harvard’s campus, also brought her into the spotlight.
Besides providing leadership, a university president must manage university finances and expand financial aid to make education more accessible. They promote sustainability and efforts throughout campus and ensure the university runs smoothly. Remember that you cannot get into a high position like being the president of Harvard without being qualified.
Gay received far too much backlash and undeserved criticism for these plagiarism allegations. First, let me say that plagiarism is serious and goes against the purpose of education. But when it is used to downgrade others without much research or evidence, problems begin.
Where was this indignation when our Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch, committed plagiarism in his academic work? Believe it or not, his plagiarized work is still selling.
One of the most prominent voices to speak out against Gay was Bill Ackman, a multi-billion dollar investor, who took to Twitter, railing against hardline plagiarism and calling for corporations to fire Gay.
Interestingly, according to The New York Post, Ackman’s wife, Neri Oxman, was also found guilty of plagiarizing over 25 academic papers and her PhD dissertation. Ackman began complaining on Twitter, defending his wife. He wrote, “Does this seem like a fair way to tarnish the reputation of one of the world’s most talented and famous designers/scientists?”
You can’t complain to someone like Gay for plagiarism, but when they do it against your wife, it is a problem for you.
This is not about plagiarism; it’s about how the rich use their wealth to hide and obfuscate their true intent, as exemplified by Gay’s resignation. This is what we call “pretext.” People like Ackman push the narrative that women should strive for excellence, but if they “fail,” they are marginalized and not seen as worthy of leadership.
Gay’s downhill fall did not stop there. On Dec. 5, 2023, Gay and the presidents of MIT and UPenn went to a congressional hearing about Pro-Palestine protests on their campuses. Representative Elise Stefanik asked the following question: “Does calling for genocide of Jews violate the code of conduct or rules regarding bullying and harassment, yes or no?”
In my opinion, the only moral answer to this question would be a yes. However, Gay’s answer to the question wasn’t a yes. She said, “It can be, depending on the context.”
When I first heard that, I ultimately knew it was wrong. However, after the hearing, outside opinions claimed that Gay is anti-semitic. I figured there had to be a legal reason as to why she didn’t say yes.
So, Harvard University states, “Our university embraces a commitment to free expression.” So, even though Harvard is a private institution, students still have free speech below their roofs. It is important to note that speech is not conducted. This means that your words don’t necessarily reflect how you act and, therefore, would not violate a conduct policy.
If Gay were to say yes to the question, it would have broken the government’s freedom of speech laws. This is also why the presidents of MIT and UPenn answered the same way. People must realize that Stefanik asked if it violates Harvard’s code, not if Gay found it unacceptable.
Gay even said she found it intolerable, “That type of hateful speech is personally abhorrent to me.” So yes, hearing her answer for the first time sounds wrong, but Stefanik’s question is not a yes or no question. The context of whether a call for genocide or any group violates the Harvard Code of Conduct is subjective. It’s not the answer we want to hear, but it does not mean Gay is an anti-semitic.
In my opinion, Gay should have resigned from Harvard due to her unwanted status and qualifications rather than being bullied into the decision by people with ulterior motives. Gay should forever be the first black female to become a former Harvard President and continue to inspire women of color.