Harvard President Claudine Gay has denied plagiarism during her academic career, amid mounting pressure to resign following her disastrous congressional hearing.
In a statement to the Boston sphere On Monday, Gay said, “I stand by the integrity of my scholarship. Throughout my career, I have ensured that my scholarship meets the highest academic standards.”
It comes after billionaire hedge fund boss and Harvard alum Bill Ackman shared accusations of plagiarism against Gay by bloggers Christopher Rufo and Christopher Brunet, who claim the Harvard leader retracted identical wording for her 1997 dissertation.
The 53-year-old has come under heavy criticism after failing to condemn anti-Semitism in a shocking exchange before New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik on Capitol Hill last week.
Harvard President Claudine Gay today denied plagiarism during her academic career, amid mounting pressure to resign
Gay responded that whether calls for genocide of Jews at Harvard constituted harassment and violated the rules depended on context.
Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania is the only one of the three Ivy League presidents to resign after their testimony last week, but pressure is mounting on Harvard to let Gay go.
The Harvard Corporation – one of two boards of directors – meets Monday.
On Sunday, bloggers accused Rufo and Brunet Gay of using near-literal language from authors Lawrence Bobo and Franklin Gilliam, as well as scholar Carol Swain.
Swain responded to the claims on Twitter, writing: 'I just heard about the analysis of #ClaudineGay's work and the accusations of plagiarism. I have not read the articles or books in question. However, two things come to mind: imitation would be the highest form of flattery and second, Dr. Gay's committee, reviewers and colleagues must recognize these alleged violations.”
However, Harvard professor Lobo, one of those allegedly plagiarized by Gay, told the Boston Globe, “I find myself unconcerned by these claims as our work is explicitly acknowledged.”
More than 640 Harvard faculty members signed a letter in support of Gay, urging the school to resist calls to fire her, describing the attacks on her as “politically motivated.”
But on Sunday, Ackman sent a letter to Harvard, his alma mater, accusing Gay of “doing more damage to Harvard's reputation than anyone in the history of the university.”
The billionaire demanded that the university's board of trustees review Gay's history, including allegations of plagiarism and of discriminating against those who do not fit the mold of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Ackman also mentioned the case of former Winthrop House faculty dean Ronald Sullivan, who accused Gay in 2019 of firing him from his role over his work on Harvey Weinstein's defense team.
Harvard President Claudine Gay will appear before the House of Representatives Education Committee on Tuesday to discuss anti-Semitism
The real Elise Stefanik (pictured) celebrated Magill's resignation on Saturday by sharing a message that began: 'One less. Two to go'
The law professor, the first black dean of a Harvard school, accused Gay and Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana of lying about their motives for firing him, saying it was because he fostered a toxic work environment.
“The actions were cowardly and cowardly and Dean Gay and Dean Khurana just consistently and repeatedly lied to the students and they know better,” he said, according to The Harvard Crimson.
“Their problem was that I represented an unpopular person… They said it to my face and other senior members said it to my face and then they turned around and lied to the students.”
Ackman said, “As dean, Gay showed no respect for basic American legal principles when she fired Harvard Law School Professor Ronald Sullivan as dean in residence for assuming the legal defense of Harvey Weinstein. President Gay must hope that one day, when she needs advice, she will be able to get good representation for herself.”
Harvard has denied that the decision was a result of Sullivan's work with Weinstein, which sparked protests on campus. Sullivan remains a professor of law at Harvard.
In his letter to the Harvard administration, Ackman also cited Harvard's plummet in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) College Free Speech Rankings since Gay took over. Although the school never ranked high on the list, it achieved its worst ranking ever, landing in very last place.
FIRE said, “Harvard completed its downward spiral in dramatic fashion, coming in last with its worst score ever: 0.00 out of a possible 100.00. This earns it the infamous distinction of being the only school ranked this year with a “terrible” speech climate.”
Gay, a professor of government and African and African-American studies, was inaugurated as Harvard's first black president in July. She has expressed an interest in DEI policy and founded the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.