Harvard University’s president, Claudine Gay whose questionable testimony on antisemitism on US Campuses almost resulted in her ouster, will remain in her job after a meeting of the institution’s governing body issued a statement backing her on Tuesday.
Claudine Gay has been engulfed by criticism after she declined to say unequivocally whether calling for genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s code of conduct as she testified before Congress alongside the heads of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania.
“It depends on the context,” she had told lawmakers in one tense exchange.
While confirming that Gay will remain Harvard’s president, two members of the governing body said in a statement, “we today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University.”
But the body did criticise the university’s initial response to the Hamas October 7 attacks that Israel said killed 1,200 people inside Israel and saw around 240 people taken hostage.
It is to be noted that attacks and violent rhetoric targeting Jews and Muslims are rising in the US, including universities since the beginning of Israel Hamas War.
“So many people have suffered tremendous damage and pain because of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack, and the University’s initial statement should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation,” the corporation said.
“Calls for genocide are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values.
“President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony.”
Rabbi Getzel Davis, a Harvard campus chaplain and member of the Hillel Jewish student movement, said in response to the corporation’s announcement that “the most important thing for Jewish students at Harvard and Harvard Hillel is that the culture changes.”
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