Claudine Gay, former president of Harvard University, shares her thoughts on stepping down in an opinion piece for The New York Times.
A day after announcing her resignation
Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University, authored an op-ed for The New York Times in defense of her time in office.
Gay announced her resignation on Tuesday after only six months in the position in order to prevent political “demagogues” from exploiting her to undermine the university and its core principles.
“I am hoping that by resigning, I can prevent demagogues from using my presidency to continue their efforts to discredit the core values that have defined Harvard since its establishment: excellence, transparency, autonomy, and truth,” she expressed.
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Gave testimony in front of a House committee. last month.
Gay expressed that she was caught in a carefully planned situation when discussing her approach to addressing antisemitic events on campus following Hamas’ assault on Israel.
“I admit my mistakes,” she stated. “When addressing the horrific events of October 7, I should have emphasized more strongly what is universally understood: Hamas is a terrorist group with the goal of destroying the nation of Israel.”
During the hearing, she stated, “I unknowingly fell into a well-planned scheme. I failed to clearly express my stance that advocating for the extermination of Jewish individuals is repulsive and intolerable, and that I will utilize all available means to safeguard students from such hatred.”
She proceeded to respond to the allegations of plagiarism.
Recently, my scholarship has become the target of attacks,” she stated. “My opponents have discovered cases in my academic writings where I have used language from other scholars without giving proper credit. I firmly believe that all scholars should receive the recognition they deserve for their work.”
Upon discovering these mistakes, I immediately asked the journals where the identified articles were published to make necessary corrections. This follows the standard procedure for addressing similar cases involving faculty at Harvard, according to the individual.
Gay stated that she has received offensive and discriminatory messages and threats based on her race.
The person stated that their inbox has been overflowing with hateful messages, including threats of violence. They have also been subject to numerous uses of a racial slur.
She cautioned that the attack on her is not solely focused on her or Harvard University.
She stated that this was just one small battle in a larger effort to erode the public’s trust in key foundations of American culture. These types of efforts often begin by targeting education and expertise, as these are the means by which communities can effectively discern propaganda. However, these campaigns do not stop there. Various reputable institutions, ranging from public health agencies to news sources, will continue to face coordinated attacks aimed at diminishing their credibility.
– Reporting was provided by Emily Mae Czachor.
Source: cbsnews.com