Claudine Gay#Congressional hearing on antisemitism

Gay was born in The Bronx on August 4, 1970,{{Cite web |date=2023-01-11 |title="CLAUDINE GAY (1970-)" |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/claudine-gay-1970/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |first= Malik |last=Simba |website=BlackPast.org |language=en}} and grew up initially in New York City, with her older brother, Sony Gay, Jr.{{Cite web |title=The Scholar Everyone Sought: Claudine Gay, Harvard's Next President |first= Miles J. |last=Herszenhorn|author2= Claire Yuan | website = The Harvard Crimson | url = https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/1/27/claudine-gay-presidential-profile/|date=January 27, 2023 |access-date=December 13, 2023 | archive-date = July 2, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230702132518/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/1/27/claudine-gay-presidential-profile/ | url-status = live }} Her parents were international students from Haiti, who met in New York City as college students in 1967. Her mother, Claudette Gay, née Bateau (1946–2023), studied nursing and her father studied civil engineering.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-29 |title='Courage to Be Harvard' |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2023/10/feature-president-gay-installation-address |access-date=2024-04-09 |first= Claudine |last=Gay |website=harvard.edu |language=en}}{{cite news|url=http://afropunk.com/2018/07/meet-the-haitian-american-woman-whos-harvards-new-dean-of-the-faculty-of-arts-science/|title=Meet the Haitian-American woman who's Harvard's new Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science|date=July 25, 2018|work=Afropunk|access-date=August 20, 2018|archive-date=August 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074606/http://afropunk.com/2018/07/meet-the-haitian-american-woman-whos-harvards-new-dean-of-the-faculty-of-arts-science/|url-status=live}} While still a child, Gay and her family moved to Saudi Arabia, where her father, Sony Gay, Sr., worked for the United States Army Corps of Engineers.{{Cite news |date=July 23, 2018 |title=Claudine Gay named Harvard FAS dean |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/07/claudine-gay-named-harvard-fas-dean/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221121625/https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/07/claudine-gay-named-harvard-fas-dean/ |archive-date=December 21, 2022 |access-date=July 24, 2018 |work=Harvard Gazette |language=en-US}} The family moved back to the United States and lived in Georgia and Colorado. Feminist writer Roxane Gay is Gay's first cousin. Their family owns and runs Haiti's largest concrete plant, located in Port-au-Prince.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/claudine-gay-harvard-plagiarism/677007/ |title=The Real Harvard Scandal |first=Tyler Austin |last=Harper |date=January 3, 2024 |work=The Atlantic |access-date=January 4, 2024 |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103235311/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/claudine-gay-harvard-plagiarism/677007/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=GDG Concrete & Construction |url=http://www.gdgbeton.com/english/personnel.html |website=www.gdgbeton.com |access-date=2024-04-09}}

Gay attended Phillips Exeter Academy, a private boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire,{{Cite web|url=https://www.exeter.edu/about-us/governance/meet-our-trustees|title=Meet Our Trustees {{!}} Phillips Exeter Academy|website=www.exeter.edu|access-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202190111/https://www.exeter.edu/about-us/governance/meet-our-trustees|archive-date=February 2, 2018}} from which she graduated in 1988. She attended Princeton University for one year{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2023 |title=Who is Claudine Gay, Harvard's president? And how has she made history? |url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/claudine-gay-harvards-president/46105240 |access-date=December 13, 2023 |website=WBAL |language=en |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213062711/https://www.wbaltv.com/article/claudine-gay-harvards-president/46105240 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=The Stanford Daily Archives |url=https://archives.stanforddaily.com/1989/09/21?page=11§ion=MODSMD_ARTICLE17 |access-date=December 13, 2023 |website=archives.stanforddaily.com |archive-date=December 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213062712/https://archives.stanforddaily.com/1989/09/21?page=11§ion=MODSMD_ARTICLE17 |url-status=live }} before transferring to Stanford University where she majored in economics and graduated in 1992, receiving the Anna Laura Myers Prize for outstanding thesis in economics. Gay earned a Ph.D. in 1998 from Harvard University and won the university's Toppan Prize for the best dissertation in political science.{{Cite news|url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/04/claudine-gay-named-dean-of-social-science/|title=Claudine Gay named dean of social science|last=Reuell|first=Peter|date=April 28, 2015|work=Harvard Gazette|access-date=April 14, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=April 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415104054/http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/04/claudine-gay-named-dean-of-social-science/|url-status=live}}

After graduating, Gay was an assistant professor, and later tenured associate professor, in Stanford's Department of Political Science from 2000 to 2006. In the 2003–2004 academic year, she was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Gay's research addresses American political behavior, including voter turnout, housing policy, and the politics of race and identity. She was recruited by Harvard to be a professor of government in 2006, and was appointed professor of African-American studies in 2007.{{Cite web | date = December 15, 2022 | title = Harvard names Claudine Gay 30th president | url = https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/12/harvard-names-claudine-gay-30th-president/ | access-date = July 5, 2023 | website = Harvard Gazette | language = en-US | archive-date = December 22, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221222180738/https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/12/harvard-names-claudine-gay-30th-president/ | url-status = live }}

In 2015, Gay was named the dean of social sciences at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and of African and African-American Studies. In 2018, she was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

As Dean of FAS, which oversees graduate and undergraduate studies, Gay outlined four primary concerns: increasing diversity among faculty, supporting students interested in interdisciplinary studies, encouraging interdepartmental collaboration among professors, and fostering faculty involvement in the university's community.{{Cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=John |date=September 2021 |title=The Art of the Dean |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/09/jhj-art-of-the-dean |website=Harvard Magazine |access-date=July 5, 2023 |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705070943/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/09/jhj-art-of-the-dean |url-status=live }}

Gay's priorities during her tenure as dean included anti-racism initiatives and increasing racial diversity on campus among students and faculty.{{Cite news |last=Radsken |first=Jill |date=August 20, 2020 |title=Faculty of Arts and Sciences unveils anti-racism agenda |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/faculty-of-arts-and-sciences-unveils-its-anti-racism-agenda/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226194958/https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/faculty-of-arts-and-sciences-unveils-its-anti-racism-agenda/ |archive-date=December 26, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=Harvard Magazine}}{{Cite news |last1=Hamid |first1=Rahem D. |last2=Schisgall |first2=Elias J. |date=May 25, 2023 |title=Dean Today, President Tomorrow: Gay Reflects on 5 Years Leading Harvard FAS |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/5/25/gay-reflects-five-years-feature/ |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111082635/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/5/25/gay-reflects-five-years-feature/ |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}} In August 2020, FAS hired its first associate dean of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.{{Cite news |last=Bikales |first=James S. |date=August 25, 2020 |title=FAS Hires Sheree Ohen as Inaugural Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/8/25/fas-dean-diversity-equity-inclusion/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104095404/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/8/25/fas-dean-diversity-equity-inclusion/ |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}} Following the June 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which held that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions were unconstitutional, Gay said that Harvard would "comply with the court's decision, but it does not change our values."{{Cite news |last=Chan |first=Tiffany |date=June 29, 2023 |title='We're not important anymore': Supreme Court ruling sends shockwaves through college campuses |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/supreme-court-affirmative-action-ruling-harvard-university/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111075734/https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/supreme-court-affirmative-action-ruling-harvard-university/ |archive-date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=CBS News}}

During her deanship, Gay disciplined multiple Harvard professors for alleged sexual misconduct. She removed emeritus status from retired professors Jorge I. Domínguez and Gary Urton, and placed professors John Comaroff and Roland G. Fryer Jr. on leave, after they each faced accusations of sexual harassment.{{Cite news |last1=Berger |first1=Jonah S. |last2=McCafferty |first2=Molly C. |date=May 9, 2019 |title=Harvard Prof. Dominguez Stripped of Emeritus Status Following Conclusion of Title IX Investigation |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/5/9/dominguez-investigation-closes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103133926/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/5/9/dominguez-investigation-closes/ |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}}{{Cite news |last=Wang |first=Andy Z. |date=June 11, 2021 |title=Anthropology Prof. Urton Stripped of Emeritus Status, Barred From Campus Following Sexual Misconduct Investigation |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/6/11/urton-sanctions/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824132430/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/6/11/urton-sanctions/ |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}}{{Cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Ariel H. |last2=Xu |first2=Meimei |date=January 21, 2022 |title=Harvard Anthropology Prof. John Comaroff Placed on Leave Following Sexual Harassment, Professional Misconduct Inquiries |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/1/21/comaroff-unpaid-leave/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103133844/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/1/21/comaroff-unpaid-leave/ |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}}{{Cite news |last=Avi-Yonah |first=Shera S. |date=July 10, 2019 |title=Harvard Places Fryer on Administrative Leave, Levies Sanctions |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/7/10/fryer-administrative-leave/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109185657/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/7/10/fryer-administrative-leave/ |archive-date=January 9, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}} Gay also sanctioned professor Martin Nowak for "unprofessional behavior" in his contacts with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.{{Cite news |last1=Nair |first1=Meera S. |last2=Wang |first2=Andy Z. |date=March 26, 2021 |title=Gay Levies Sanctions Against Prof. Nowak for Contacts With Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/3/26/gay-sanctions-nowak-epstein/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101102313/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/3/26/gay-sanctions-nowak-epstein/ |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}}

Harvard Law School professor and Winthrop House faculty dean Ronald Sullivan faced student protests in spring 2019 after joining the legal defense team for Harvey Weinstein, who was on trial for rape.{{cite news |last1=Streeter |first1=Kurt |date=January 4, 2024 |title=For Harvard's First Black President, Race Became the Unavoidable Issue |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/us/claudine-gay-harvard-president-race.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104103252/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/us/claudine-gay-harvard-president-race.html/ |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |website=The New York Times}} Gay called Sullivan's response to the controversy "insufficient", citing his "special responsibility" as house dean for the well-being of Winthrop residents.{{cite news |last1=Berger |first1=Jonah S. |last2=McCafferty |first2=Molly C. |date=February 12, 2019 |title=FAS Dean Claudine Gay Calls Sullivan's Response to Student Concerns 'Insufficient' |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/2/12/dean-gay-sullivan-response/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104040555/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/2/12/dean-gay-sullivan-response/ |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson}} Harvard College dean Rakesh Khurana decided not to renew Sullivan's contract as Winthrop dean,{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=John S. |last2=Bolotnikova |first2=Marina N. |date=July–August 2019 |title=From #MeToo fallout to undergraduate education and public service | Harvard Magazine |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2019/06/news-briefs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929001839/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2019/06/news-briefs |archive-date=September 29, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=Harvard Magazine}}{{cite news |last1=Avi-Yonah |first1=Shera S. |last2=Ryan |first2=Aidan F. |date=May 11, 2019a |title=Winthrop Faculty Deans to Leave After Harvard Refuses to Renew Their Appointments |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/5/11/winthrop-faculty-deans-to-leave/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103191028/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/5/11/winthrop-faculty-deans-to-leave/ |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson}}{{Cite web |date=2019-05-13 |title=Harvard Won't Renew Faculty Deans' Terms Amid Outcry Over Harvey Weinstein Defense |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/05/11/harvard-will-not-renew-faculty-deans-terms-amid-outcry-over-harvey-weinstein-defense |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.wbur.org |language=en}} a decision criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union.{{cite news |last1=Avi-Yonah |first1=Shera S. |last2=Franklin |first2=Delano R. |date=November 19, 2019b |title=Former Winthrop Dean Sullivan Criticizes Admins During Constitutional Law Society Event |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/11/19/sullivan-speaks-hucls-event/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104231558/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/11/19/sullivan-speaks-hucls-event/ |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson}}{{cite news |last1=Soave |first1=Robby |author-link1=Robby Soave |date=June 10, 2019 |title=ACLU Says Harvard 'Sacrificed Principles Central to Our Legal System' When It Fired Ron Sullivan |url=https://reason.com/2019/06/10/aclu-harvard-ron-sullivan/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202090339/https://reason.com/2019/06/10/aclu-harvard-ron-sullivan/ |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |website=Reason}}

In 2019, Gay said that Harvard would seek to hire multiple ethnic studies professors,{{Cite news |last1=Berger |first1=Jonah S. |last2=McCafferty |first2=Molly C. |date=October 4, 2019 |title=FAS Prioritizing Ethnic Studies Faculty Searches Despite Stagnant Overall Hiring, Dean Gay Says |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/10/4/fas-faculty-search/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230706232830/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/10/4/fas-faculty-search/ |archive-date=July 6, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}} hiring three in 2022.{{Cite news |last=Xu |first=Meimei |date=July 9, 2022 |title=Jesse Hoffnung-Garskof '93 Joins Harvard as Third Professor in Ethnic Studies Cluster Hire |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/7/9/Jesse-Hoffnung-Garskof-hire/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106192145/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/7/9/Jesse-Hoffnung-Garskof-hire/ |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}} After protests condemning Harvard's denial of tenure to Lorgia García Peña, a scholar of ethnic studies, Gay said in January 2020 that she would initiate a review of the FAS tenure process.{{Cite news |last1=Bikales |first1=James S. |last2=Chen |first2=Kevin R. |date=January 3, 2020 |title=FAS Dean Gay to Review Tenure Promotion Process |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/1/3/fas-tenure-review-letter/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704200520/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/1/3/fas-tenure-review-letter/ |archive-date=July 4, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}} The review, released in October 2021, stated that Harvard's tenure process was largely "structurally sound", but also found "a lack of trust in, and a low morale, about the tenure process" among faculty.{{Cite news |last1=Nair |first1=Meera S. |last2=Wang |first2=Andy Z. |date=October 12, 2021 |title=FAS Review Largely Upholds Tenure System Despite Acknowledging 'Mistrust and Low Morale' |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/10/12/tenure-review-report-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704193848/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/10/12/tenure-review-report-2021/ |archive-date=July 4, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |work=The Harvard Crimson}}

As dean, Gay oversaw the 2021 launch of a new billion-dollar Science and Engineering Complex on Harvard's Allston campus, including a PhD program in quantum engineering.

Harvard faced educational and financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For fiscal year 2020, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences reported losses of $15.8 million.{{Cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=John |date=January 2021 |title=The Financial Fallout…So Far |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/01/jhj-financial-fallout |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705070955/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/01/jhj-financial-fallout |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Harvard Magazine}} In early 2021, Gay announced that the cost of the FAS's core academic commitments were greater than its revenues and began processes to reduce expenses.{{Cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=John |date=September 2021 |title=The Art of the Dean |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/09/jhj-art-of-the-dean |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705070943/https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2021/09/jhj-art-of-the-dean |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Harvard Magazine}} At the end of that year, the FAS reported a surplus of $51 million, an increase from the projected deficit of $112 million.{{Cite web |last1=Nair |first1=Meera S. |last2=Wang |first2=Andy Z. |date=November 3, 2021 |title=Defying Projections, FAS Ends Fiscal Year with $51M Surplus |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/11/3/fas-annual-report-2021/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216025902/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/11/3/fas-annual-report-2021/ |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=The Harvard Crimson}}

In addition to her positions at Harvard, Gay served as a vice president of the Midwest Political Science Association from 2014 to 2017{{cite web |title=Past Vice Presidents |website=MPSAnet.org |url=https://www.mpsanet.org/about/governance/past-mpsa-officers/ |access-date=January 20, 2023 |archive-date=January 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120155451/https://www.mpsanet.org/about/governance/past-mpsa-officers/ |url-status=live }} and as a trustee of Phillips Exeter from 2017 to 2023.

In June 2022, Harvard University president Lawrence Bacow announced that he would resign from the post in one year. A search committee led by Penny Pritzker considered 600 nominees and selected Gay to succeed Bacow. On December 15, 2022, Harvard announced that Gay had been selected as the 30th president of Harvard University.{{Cite web|date=December 15, 2022|title=Claudine Gay: Harvard University picks first Black president|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63990177|work=BBC News|first=Madeline|last=Halpert|access-date=December 7, 2023|archive-date=November 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111125431/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63990177|url-status=live}}{{cite news |date=December 16, 2022 |title=Harvard names Claudine Gay as first ever Black president |work=United Press International|first=A. L.|last=Lee |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/12/16/harvard-first-black-woman-president/8271671192815 |access-date=December 19, 2022 |archive-date=December 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223023703/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/12/16/harvard-first-black-woman-president/8271671192815/ |url-status=live }} She took office on July 1, 2023, becoming the university's first Black president.{{Cite web|title=With End of Affirmative Action, Claudine Gay Faces Unprecedented Challenges to Start Harvard Presidency|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/7/4/claudine-gay-harvard-affirmative-action-analysis/|work=The Harvard Crimson|first1=Miles J.|last1=Herszenhorn|first2=Claire|last2=Yuan|date=July 4, 2023|access-date=December 12, 2023|archive-date=December 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216105326/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/7/4/claudine-gay-harvard-affirmative-action-analysis/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2021 |title=Homepage |url=https://www.harvard.edu/president/ |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=Harvard University President |language=en-US |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210044210/https://www.harvard.edu/president/ |url-status=live }}

After the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Gay faced criticism, including from former Harvard president Lawrence Summers, for failing to adequately condemn the attacks. In a December 2023 Congressional committee hearing, Gay and the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania were asked about institutional response to antisemitism on their campuses.{{Cite news |last1=Haslett |first1=Cheyenne |last2=Hensley |first2=Sarah Beth |date=December 5, 2023 |title=Presidents of universities grilled on efforts to counter antisemitism on campus |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ivy-league-presidents-testify-capitol-hill-countering-antisemitism/story?id=105387761 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-date=December 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207034149/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ivy-league-presidents-testify-capitol-hill-countering-antisemitism/story?id=105387761 |url-status=live }} When asked, by Elise Stefanik, if a hypothetical call for the genocide of Jewish people would qualify as a violation of Harvard's code of conduct, Gay responded: "It can be, depending on the context." She later clarified: "Antisemitic rhetoric, when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation — that is actionable conduct and we do take action."{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Juliana |last2=Chappell |first2=Bill |last3=Nadworny |first3=Elissa |title=Harvard affirms President Claudine Gay will not step down over antisemitism testimony |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212181417/https://www.npr.org/2023/12/12/1218514457/harvard-president-claudine-gay-antisemitism |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/12/12/1218514457/harvard-president-claudine-gay-antisemitism |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |access-date=December 12, 2023 |website=NPR |date=December 12, 2023}}

Gay's remarks were broadly criticized in the media.{{cite web |title=How Bill Ackman's Campaign to Oust Harvard's President Failed |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/12/how-bill-ackmans-plan-to-oust-harvards-president-failed.html |work=Intelligencer |first=Jen |last=Wieczner |date=December 12, 2023 |access-date=December 14, 2023 |archive-date=December 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214220855/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/12/how-bill-ackmans-plan-to-oust-harvards-president-failed.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us |url-status=live }} In response, Gay apologized{{Cite web|title='I Am Sorry': Harvard President Gay Addresses Backlash Over Congressional Testimony on Antisemitism|work=The Harvard Crimson|first1=Miles J.|last1=Herszenhorn|first2=Claire|last2=Yuan|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/8/gay-apology-congressional-remarks/|access-date=December 11, 2023|archive-date=December 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211000038/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/8/gay-apology-congressional-remarks/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=December 8, 2023 |title=Harvard president apologizes for remarks on curbing antisemitism as pressure mounts on Penn's president |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/harvard-president-apologizes-for-remarks-on-curbing-antisemitism-as-pressure-mounts-on-penns-president |access-date=December 10, 2023 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210024846/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/harvard-president-apologizes-for-remarks-on-curbing-antisemitism-as-pressure-mounts-on-penns-president |url-status=live }} and said that some people "have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students".{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2023 |title=White House condemns university presidents after contentious congressional hearing on antisemitism |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-condemns-university-presidents-contentious-congressional-h-rcna128373 |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=NBC News |first=Kyla |last=Guilfoil |language=en-US |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208080308/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-condemns-university-presidents-contentious-congressional-h-rcna128373 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|date=December 7, 2023|title=US House committee opens probe into Harvard, Penn, MIT after antisemitism hearing|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-committee-opens-investigation-into-harvard-penn-mit-after-antisemitism-2023-12-07/|access-date=December 8, 2023|website=Reuters|first=Gabriella|last=Borter|language=en-US|archive-date=December 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208073052/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-committee-opens-investigation-into-harvard-penn-mit-after-antisemitism-2023-12-07/|url-status=live}} A letter signed by 70 congressional representatives called for all three presidents to resign.{{Cite web |last=Egan |first=Matt |date=December 9, 2023 |title=UPenn president Liz Magill and Board Chair Scott Bok resign after disastrous hearing on antisemitism {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/09/business/upenn-board-of-trustees-meeting-liz-magill/index.html |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=December 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228015702/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/09/business/upenn-board-of-trustees-meeting-liz-magill/index.html |url-status=live }} Liz Magill had already been under pressure within the University of Pennsylvania, and resigned from the presidency the following week.{{Cite web |last=Egan |first=Matt |date=2023-12-12 |title=UPenn names J. Larry Jameson as its interim president, replacing Liz Magill {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/12/business/new-penn-president-larry-jameson/index.html |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=CNN |language=en}}

On December 11, more than 700 of Harvard's 2,452 faculty members signed a letter opposing calls for Gay to be removed as university president.{{cite news |last1=Arkin |first1=Daniel |title=Hundreds of Harvard faculty members urge university not to oust embattled president |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211223259/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/hundreds-harvard-faculty-members-urge-university-not-oust-embattled-pr-rcna129027 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/hundreds-harvard-faculty-members-urge-university-not-oust-embattled-pr-rcna129027 |archive-date=December 11, 2023 |access-date=December 11, 2023 |website=NBC News |date=December 11, 2023}} The executive committee of Harvard's Alumni Association stated it "unanimously and unequivocally" supported Gay's leadership, praising her "for protecting academic freedom and the right of all students to voice their opinions".{{cite news |last1=Habeshian |first1=Sareen |title=Claudine Gay gets show of support from Harvard Alumni Association, faculty |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/12/11/claudine-gay-harvard-alumni-faculty-support |access-date=December 11, 2023 |website=Axios |date=December 11, 2023 |archive-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211223533/https://www.axios.com/2023/12/11/claudine-gay-harvard-alumni-faculty-support |url-status=live }} On December 12, the board of the Harvard Corporation said they "unanimously" supported Gay's leadership, adding: "President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the University's fight against antisemitism."{{cite news |last1=Natanson |first1=Hannah |last2=Svrluga |first2=Susan |title=Harvard president to remain after anger over testimony on antisemitism |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212154305/https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/12/12/claudine-gay-remains-harvard-president-antisemitism/ |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/12/12/claudine-gay-remains-harvard-president-antisemitism/ |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |access-date=December 12, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 12, 2023}}

Soon after the December congressional hearing, Gay was accused of plagiarism by conservative activist Christopher Rufo and journalist Aaron Sibarium,{{cite news |last1=Burns |first1=Hilary |last2=Damiano |first2=Mike |date=December 11, 2023 |title=Key Harvard oversight board offers silence as controversy engulfs Harvard president Claudine Gay |website=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/11/metro/harvard-president-testimony/ |access-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212041702/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/12/11/metro/harvard-president-testimony/ |archive-date=December 12, 2023}} and by an anonymous complaint. As summarized by The New York Times, the allegations concerned "using material from other sources without proper attribution... [ranging] from brief snippets of technical definitions to paragraphs summing up other scholars' research that are only lightly paraphrased, and in some cases lack any direct citation of the other scholars." The allegations totaled almost 50 instances spanning eight of Gay's academic works, including her dissertation and five of her 11 published articles.{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Sophia |title=The plagiarism allegations against ex-Harvard president Claudine Gay, explained |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105133742/https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/01/04/claudine-gay-plagiarism-examples-harvard/ |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/01/04/claudine-gay-plagiarism-examples-harvard/ |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024|newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 4, 2024}}

Carol M. Swain accused Gay of a failure to credit Swain's work from her 1993 book, Black Faces, Black Interests: The Representation of African Americans in Congress, as well as Swain's article "Women and Blacks in Congress: 1870–1996" that was published in 1997.{{Cite journal |last=Carol |first=Swain |date=17 Dec 2023 |title=Claudine Gay and My Scholarship |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/claudine-gay-and-my-scholarship-plagiarism-elite-system-unearned-position-24e4a1b1 |journal=The Wall Street Journal}}

Harvard had been contacted by the New York Post in October 2023 for comment on a planned story about 27 "possible examples of plagiarism", and called the Post's allegations "demonstrably false", threatening to sue the newspaper for libel.{{Cite web |last1=Kettles |first1=Cam E. |last2=Robinson |first2=Tilly R. |date=December 25, 2023 |title=A Law Firm Said Plagiarism Allegations Against Harvard President Gay Were 'Demonstrably False.' Then She Submitted Corrections. |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/25/harvard-threaten-sue-post/ |access-date=December 26, 2023 |website=The Harvard Crimson |archive-date=December 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226002617/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/25/harvard-threaten-sue-post/ |url-status=live }}

In response, Gay said she stood behind the integrity of her work and requested an outside review of it. The Harvard Corporation reported that the review found "a few instances of inadequate citation" and "duplicative language without appropriate attribution" in her work, but "no violation of Harvard's standards for research misconduct."{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |date=December 12, 2023 |title=Statement from the Harvard Corporation: Our President |url=https://www.harvard.edu/blog/2023/12/12/statement-from-the-harvard-corporation-our-president/ |access-date=December 21, 2023 |website=Harvard University |language=en-US |archive-date=December 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220222512/https://www.harvard.edu/blog/2023/12/12/statement-from-the-harvard-corporation-our-president/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Tilly R. |last2=Shah |first2=Neil H. |date=December 21, 2023 |title=Harvard President Claudine Gay to Submit 3 Additional Corrections, Corporation Says Improper Citations Fall Short of Research Misconduct |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/21/gay-plagiarism-dissertation-corrections/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.thecrimson.com |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225025004/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/21/gay-plagiarism-dissertation-corrections/ |url-status=live }} Analyses by The Harvard Crimson and CNN contested Harvard's statement, finding that Gay had likely violated the university's policies on plagiarism and academic integrity.Quotes from The Harvard Crimson and CNN:

• {{harvnb|Hamid|Orakwue|Schisgall|2023|loc=: "The Crimson independently reviewed the published allegations. Though some are minor — consisting of passages that are similar or identical to Gay’s sources, lacking quotation marks but including citations — others are more substantial, including some paragraphs and sentences nearly identical to other work and lacking citations. Some appear to violate Harvard's current policies around plagiarism and academic integrity."}}
• {{harvnb|Steck|2023|loc=: "Harvard President Claudine Gay recently requested corrections for two of her academic papers, but she did not address even clearer examples of plagiarism from earlier in her academic history at the school, according to a CNN analysis of her writings... Both offenses appear to go against Harvard’s guide on plagiarism, which clearly states, 'it is considered plagiarism to draw any idea or any language from someone else without adequately crediting that source in your paper.{{'"}}}}

{{cite news |last1=Hamid |first1=Rahem D. |last2=Orakwue |first2=Nia L. |last3=Schisgall |first3=Elias J. |title=Despite Support From Corporation, Harvard President Gay Under Fire Over Plagiarism Allegations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109233800/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/12/allegations-plagiarism-gay-dissertation/ |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/12/allegations-plagiarism-gay-dissertation/ |archive-date=January 9, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=The Harvard Crimson |date=December 12, 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Steck |first1=Em |title=Harvard president's corrections do not address her clearest instances of plagiarism, including as a student in the 1990s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107151033/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/20/business/harvard-president-claudine-gay-plagiarism/index.html |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/20/business/harvard-president-claudine-gay-plagiarism/index.html |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=CNN |date=December 20, 2023}} Gay requested seven corrections to add citations and quotation marks to her dissertation and two of her articles.{{cite web |last1=Souza |first1=Sabrina |last2=Egan |first2=Matt |date=December 15, 2023 |title=Harvard President Claudine Gay corrects two scholarly articles following allegations of plagiarism |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/15/business/harvard-president-claudine-gay-corrects-scholarly-articles-plagiarism-allegations/index.html |access-date=December 16, 2023 |work=CNN |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216093134/https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/15/business/harvard-president-claudine-gay-corrects-scholarly-articles-plagiarism-allegations/index.html?utm_source=business_ribbon |url-status=live }} Academic Joseph Reagle opined that media reports that Gay "plagiarized" implied that she had stolen the central ideas in her work, saying "I don't think this is the case" but that the work "contain plagiarized prose. This is a lesser but still significant infraction."{{cite news |last1=Harrison |first1=Stephen |title=Yes, Copying From Wikipedia Is Plagiarism |url=https://slate.com/technology/2024/01/is-copying-from-wikipedia-plagiarism.html |access-date=20 January 2024 |work=Slate |date=19 January 2024}} Academic William Arighi, writing for the Journal of Academic Freedom, later characterized the events as "an attempt not at promoting truth but at grinding a political ax".{{Cite journal |last=Arighi |first=William |title=Claudine Gay, Plagiarism, and AI |url=https://www.aaup.org/JAF15/claudine-gay-plagiarism-and-ai |journal=Journal of Academic Freedom |volume=15}}

In response to the allegations, the congressional committee that held the hearing on antisemitism said it would examine Gay's work, and asked the university to produce related communications and documentation.{{Cite web |last=Egan |first=Matt |date=2023-12-29 |title=Harvard granted extension to respond to House on plagiarism scandal |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/business/harvard-plagiarism-claudine-gay-education-committee/index.html |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=December 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230141532/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/29/business/harvard-plagiarism-claudine-gay-education-committee/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Matza |first=Max |date=December 21, 2023 |title=Claudine Gay: New problems found in Harvard president's work |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67782799 |access-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224040344/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67782799 |url-status=live }}

On January 2, 2024, Gay announced she was resigning her position.{{Cite web |title=Harvard President Claudine Gay Resigns, Shortest Tenure in University History {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/3/claudine-gay-resign-harvard/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.thecrimson.com |archive-date=January 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102223704/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/3/claudine-gay-resign-harvard/ |url-status=live }} In an email to affiliates, Gay wrote, "it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor – two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am—and frightening{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Adria R. |date=2024-01-03 |title='Racist, vicious': academics decry rightwing attacks on Claudine Gay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/03/racist-rightwing-attacks-claudine-gay-former-harvard-president |access-date=2024-03-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus."{{cite news |date=January 2, 2024 |title=Harvard president Claudine Gay's resignation letter in full |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/02/harvard-president-claudine-gay-resignation-letter |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102221032/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/02/harvard-president-claudine-gay-resignation-letter |archive-date=January 2, 2024 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |work=The Guardian}} In an op-ed the following day, Gay wrote that she "made mistakes", but her invitation to testify before Congress about antisemitism was a "well-laid trap", and the campaign to oust her was "[a] skirmish in a broader war to unravel public faith in pillars of American society".{{cite news |last1=Beckett |first1=Lois |title=Ousted Harvard president Claudine Gay warns of 'a broader war' in op-ed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/03/claudine-gay-harvard-president-resignation-new-york-times-op-ed |access-date=January 4, 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=January 4, 2024 |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104033121/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/03/claudine-gay-harvard-president-resignation-new-york-times-op-ed |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Gay |first1=Claudine |title=Claudine Gay: What Just Happened at Harvard Is Bigger Than Me |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/03/opinion/claudine-gay-harvard-president.html |access-date=January 4, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=January 3, 2024 |archive-date=January 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104000534/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/03/opinion/claudine-gay-harvard-president.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Adria R. |date=2024-01-03 |title='Racist, vicious': academics decry rightwing attacks on Claudine Gay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/03/racist-rightwing-attacks-claudine-gay-former-harvard-president |access-date=2024-03-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Following Gay's resignation, Alan Garber, the provost of Harvard, was named interim president. Gay remained on the faculty at Harvard.{{cite web |date=2 January 2024 |title=Harvard President Resigns After Mounting Plagiarism Accusations|first=Jennifer|last=Schuessler|author2=Anemona Hartocollis|author3=Michael Levenson |author4=Alan Blinder |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/02/us/harvard-claudine-gay-resigns.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103122237/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/02/us/harvard-claudine-gay-resigns.html |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |access-date=January 3, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite web |last=Czachor |first=Emily Mae |date=2024-01-02 |title=Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns amid controversy – CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/claudine-gay-resigns-harvard-university-president-letter/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US |archive-date=January 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103230850/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/claudine-gay-resigns-harvard-university-president-letter/ |url-status=live }}

Gay is married to Christopher Afendulis, an information systems analyst at Stanford's Department of Health Research and Policy. They have a son.{{Cite web |first=Vaishnavi |last=Vaidyanathan |date=October 12, 2023 |title=Who Is Christopher Afendulis, Harvard President Claudine Gay's Husband? |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/world/who-is-christopher-afendulis-harvard-president-claudine-gay-husband-article-104385151 |access-date=December 12, 2023 |website=TimesNow |language=en |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212134757/https://www.timesnownews.com/world/who-is-christopher-afendulis-harvard-president-claudine-gay-husband-article-104385151 |url-status=live }}

{{Scholia|author}}

• 1998: "Doubly Bound: The Impact of Gender and Race on the Politics of Black Women", Political Psychology, co-authored with Katherine Tate
• 2001: "The Effect of Black Congressional Representation on Political Participation", American Political Science Review
• 2001: The Effect of Minority Districts and Minority Representation on Political Participation in California, Public Policy Institute of California
• 2002: "Spirals of Trust? The Effect of Descriptive Representation on the Relationship Between Citizens and Their Government", American Journal of Political Science
• 2004: "Putting Race in Context: Identifying the Environmental Determinants of Black Racial Attitudes", American Political Science Review
• 2006: "Seeing Difference: The Effect of Economic Disparity on Black Attitudes Toward Latinos", American Journal of Political Science
• 2007: "Legislating Without Constraints: The Effect of Minority Districting on Legislators' Responsiveness to Constituency Preferences", The Journal of Politics
• 2012: "Moving to Opportunity: The Political Effects of a Housing Mobility Experiment", Urban Affairs Review
• 2013: Outsiders No More? Models of Immigrant Political Incorporation, Oxford University Press, co-editor with Jacqueline Chattopadhyay, Jennifer Hochschild, and Michael Jones-Correa
• 2014: "Knowledge Matters: Policy Cross-pressures and Black Partisanship", Political Behavior

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• [https://www.harvard.edu/president/history/#2000s Biography] on the Harvard University website

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Category:1970 births

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Category:21st-century American women academics

Category:African American–Jewish relations

Category:African-American academic administrators

Category:African-American women academic administrators

Category:American academic administrators

Category:American expatriates in Saudi Arabia

Category:American people of Haitian descent

Category:American political scientists

Category:American women academic administrators

Category:American women political scientists

Category:Black studies scholars

Category:Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni

Category:Harvard University administrators

Category:Harvard University faculty

Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni

Category:Presidents of Harvard University

Category:Stanford University alumni