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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 3 January 2024

Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns amid plagiarism claims,

backlash from antisemitism testimony

By STEVE LeBLANC and COL- nance of white people in
LIN BINKLEY society. Gay, in her letter,
Associated Press said it has been "distressing
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — to have doubt cast on my
Harvard University President commitments to confronting
Claudine Gay resigned Tues- hate and to upholding schol-
day amid plagiarism accu- arly rigor — two bedrock val-
sations and criticism over ues that are fundamental to
testimony at a congressio- who I am — and frightening
nal hearing where she was to be subjected to personal
unable to say unequivocally attacks and threats fueled
that calls on campus for the by racial animus."
genocide of Jews would vi- But Gay, who is returning to
olate the school's conduct the school's faculty, added
policy. "it has become clear that it
Gay is the second Ivy League is in the best interests of Har-
president to resign in the past vard for me to resign so that
month following the congres- our community can navigate
sional testimony. Gay, Har- this moment of extraordinary
vard's first Black president, challenge."
announced her departure Gay and the presidents of MIT
just months into her tenure and the University of Penn-
in a letter to the Harvard sylvania came under fire
community. Harvard University President Claudine Gay speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on last month for their lawyerly
Following the congressional Education on Capitol Hill, Dec. 5, 2023, in Washington. answers to a line of question-
hearing, Gay's academic Associated Press ing from New York Rep. Elise
career came under intense attribution." The board said economist and physician, critics racist," Rufo said on X, Stefanik, who asked whether
scrutiny by conservative Gay would update her dis- has served as provost for 12 formerly Twitter. Rufo added "calling for the genocide of
activists who unearthed sertation and request cor- years. that "this is the poison" of di- Jews" would violate the col-
several instances of alleged rections. Gay's resignation was cel- versity, equity and inclusion leges' code of conduct.
plagiarism in her 1997 doc- The Harvard Corporation ebrated by the conserva- ideology. The three presidents had
toral dissertation. Harvard's said the resignation came tives who put her alleged Critical race theory is a way been called before the Re-
governing board initially ral- "with great sadness" and plagiarism in the national of thinking about America's publican-led House Com-
lied behind Gay, saying a thanked Gay for her "deep spotlight. Christopher Rufo, history through the lens of mittee on Education and
review of her scholarly work and unwavering commit- an activist who has helped racism. Scholars developed the Workforce to answer
turned up "a few instances ment to Harvard and to the rally the GOP against critical it during the 1970s and 1980s accusations that universities
of inadequate citation" but pursuit of academic excel- race theory and other cultur- in response to what scholars were failing to protect Jewish
no evidence of research mis- lence." al issues, said he's "glad she's viewed as a lack of racial students amid rising fears of
conduct. Alan M. Garber, provost and gone.""Rather than take re- progress following the civil antisemitism worldwide and
Days later, the Harvard chief academic officer, will sponsibility for minimizing an- rights legislation of the 1960s. fallout from Israel's intensify-
Corporation revealed that serve as interim president tisemitism, committing serial It centers on the idea that ing war in Gaza, which faces
it found two additional ex- until Harvard finds a re- plagiarism, intimidating the racism is systemic in the na- heightened criticism for the
amples of "duplicative lan- placement, the board said free press, and damaging tion's institutions, which func- mounting Palestinian death
guage without appropriate in a statement. Garber, an the institution, she calls her tion to maintain the domi- toll.q

Federal appeals court temporarily

delays new state-run court in

Mississippi’s majority-Black capital

Monday. The ruling came cedes said in a statement tect the people of Jackson
just before U.S. District Monday. "We will contin- from stifling, suffocating
Judge Henry Wingate dis- ue to do everything in our crime that plagues the city.
missed requests to block power to fight for Jackson " The court was created
the new court in a ruling residents' rights to have by the majority-white and
filed late Sunday. The U.S. control over their own in- Republican-controlled Mis-
5th Circuit Court of Ap- stitutions and live free from sissippi Legislature. Jackson
peals granted a temporary state-driven discrimination." is governed by Democrats.
A man walks in front of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Jan. administrative stay, block- Michelle Williams, chief of Attorneys for the civil rights
7, 2015, in New Orleans. ing the court's creation until staff for Mississippi Attor- organization had sued on
Associated Press at least Jan. 5. The decision ney General Lynn Fitch, behalf of several Jackson
followed a request from responded to the decision residents, saying the new
By MICHAEL GOLDBERG temporarily delayed Missis- the NAACP. "The NAACP by pointing to a statement court undermines democ-
Associated Press/Report for sippi officials from creating stands firm in our belief that she issued Sunday that said racy because local voters
America a state-run court in part of this legislation is inherently the state would continue to or local elected officials
JACKSON, MISS. (AP) — A the majority-Black capital undemocratic," NAACP defend the law and "per- won't choose its judge or
federal appeals court has city of Jackson starting on spokesperson Alicia Mer- form our duties to help pro- prosecutors. q