Israel-Hamas War

How accusations of plagiarism and antisemitism led to the downfall of Harvard’s president

Claudine Gay found herself in hot water after failing to outright denounce threats of violence against Jews in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict. A subsequent crusade for her resignation lead to her stepping down on Tuesday

Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first black president and second female leader, is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month over accusations of being antisemetic. Picture: Getty

Harvard University president Claudine Gay resigned on Tuesday amid plagiarism accusations and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the university’s conduct policy.

Gay is the second Ivy League president to resign in the past month following the congressional testimony. Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennyslvania, resigned on December 9.

Gay, Harvard’s first black president ...