The Claudine Gay Scandal
Claudine Gay became the 30th president of Harvard University on July 1, 2023, but on Oct. 24, less than four months later, people were already calling for her resignation.
Source: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images
In December 2023, journalists Christopher Rufo and Chris Brunet alleged that Gay’s academic work, including her dissertation from 1997, had been plagiarized.
What Exactly Is Claudine Gay Being Accused Of?
It’s important to understand that President Gay has been accused of using other writers’ and academics’ words as her own in her work, which is considered an egregious offense in the academic world.
Source: @simonateba/X
She submitted corrections later, stating that she didn’t use quotation marks where she should have. Journalists found that some sentences and even paragraphs were written in the exact language of another author.
Harvard Supported President Gay
Harvard’s immediate response to the accusations was of complete and total support of their president.
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The Harvard Corporation apparently reviewed her work from 1997, 2001, and 2017 and stated that there was “no violation of Harvard’s standards for research misconduct.”
Harvard Has Since Changed Its Tune
However, since this story became national news, apparently, Harvard decided to check again, and they found different results.
Source: Brooks Kraft/Corbis/Getty Images
Now, they are saying that they did, in fact, find “duplicative language without appropriate attribution” in her work.
Dr. Gay Has Promised to Right Her Wrongs
After the Harvard Corporation found several examples of plagiarism in the president’s work, Dr. Gay immediately announced that she would fix her previous errors.
Source: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
She has already made corrections to her academic work from 2001 and 2017; however, it doesn’t erase the fact that she made them in the first place.
The House Education and Workforce Committee Has Launched an Investigation
In fact, since the release of this new information, the House Education and Workforce Committee felt the need to officially investigate Gay’s work as well as how Harvard is handling the situation.
Source: edworkforce.house.gov
According to the House Committee, their mission is to enforce “strong policy [that] is guided by the U.S. Constitution and focused on promoting access to high-quality education for students and safe, productive workplaces for working Americans.”
The House Committee Is Taking the Allegations Very Seriously
House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx wrote to the Harvard Corporation, asking for every detail regarding the accusations, as well as the school’s investigation.
Source: edworkforce.house.gov
Foxx told the press, “An allegation of plagiarism by a top school official at any university would be reason for concern. But Harvard is not just any university. It styles itself as one of the top educational institutions in the country.”
Plagiarism at Harvard Is Unacceptable
Harvard is considered one of the most honorable schools in the country, and they educate with an extremely strict code of conduct outlined in the Harvard College Honor Code.
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The Honor Code specifically states, “Members of the Harvard College community commit themselves to producing academic work of integrity.”
Gay Is Already Under Review for Antisemitic Comments
While the plagiarism allegations certainly paint President Gay in a bad light, this scandal has become even more highlighted in the media as Gay is already being investigated for another issue.
Source: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
On Dec. 5, 2023, she and other university presidents faced the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for their questionably antisemitic comments.
Many Are Arguing for President Gay to Resign
Between the allegations of antisemitic comments and plagiarism in her work, many people are arguing that President Gay should resign or be removed from her position as soon as possible.
Source: @NRO/X
While there is always debate on social media, it seems that the vast majority of those weighing in on platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, don’t believe Dr. Gay deserves the highly honored position.
Harvard Stood in Support
Harvard stood in full support of their president, stating, “We today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University.”
Source: Harvard
However, President Gay resigned on Jan. 2, 2024. She wrote in her resignation letter: “As we welcome a new year and a new semester, I hope we can all look forward to brighter days” (via The New York Times).