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Harvard University president Claudine Gay faced mounting pressure Sunday to resign as prominent alumni, donors and politicians called for her ouster. But a group of members of the school rallied to support him, insisting that he had been learning for some time bad information about the protest.
The body can finally decide the fate of Dr. Gay, the Harvard Corporation, is scheduled to meet on Monday.
While doubling down on the critics of Dr. Gay, made an effort to save his job. As of Sunday evening, more than 500 members of the Harvard faculty have signed a petition urging “in the strongest possible terms” to “oppose political actions contrary to Harvard’s commitment.” to academic freedom.” Harvard has about 2,300 students.
Dr. apologized. Gay according to his statement in front of the congressional committee last Tuesday, which he said was incomplete.
“I’m sorry,” said Dr. Gay in an interview that the campus newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, published on Friday. “When words increase suffering and pain, I don’t know how you can feel anything but sadness,” he said. Dr. Gay is the first Black woman to lead Harvard and she took the position less than six months ago.
As his default status increased, the default from last week’s hearing deepened. At the end of Saturday, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, M. Elizabeth Magill, resigned. And calls from donors for the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sally Kornbluth, to step down, also increased.
The uproar over the speech of Dr. Gay came after he appeared to have misrepresented himself in front of Congress when he was asked whether university policy prohibited calling for the genocide of Jews.
“One down. Two to go,” said Representative Elise Stefanik, the Republican of New York who led some of the most important questions during the trial, when all three presidents tried to answer how to deal with it. their university level of protest. Mrs. Stefanik, a graduate of Harvard, said on the media website X that the resignation of Ms. Magill “is the least that is needed.”
Representatives of several prominent members of the Harvard Corporation declined to comment. Dr. refused. Gay made a statement through a Harvard spokesperson.
In the past few days, Congressional Republicans have opened an investigation into three organizations and major donors have threatened to end multi-million dollar donations – a sudden turn of events that has shocked the school and emboldened critics of top universities who argue that campuses are not competitive. traditional media during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, and the subsequent Israeli attack on Gaza.
During the proceedings on Capitol Hill last week Ms. Stefanik to the three presidents on the questions that caused the current controversy. Said Ms. Stefanik said that in the campus protest, students shouted for intifada, an Arabic word that means rebellion and many Jews hear it as a call for violence against them.
“At Harvard,” asked Ms. Stefanik to Dr. Gay, “does calling for the killing of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of violence and violence?” Yes or no?”
Dr. answered. Gay, “Maybe, it depends on the context.” Ms. Stefanik, added Dr. Gay a few minutes later, “The antisemitic campaign, when it comes to behavior that leads to threats, harassment, intimidation , behavior is action, and we take action.”
Ms. tried again. Stefanik: “So, the answer is yes, calling for the murder of Jews violates Harvard’s constitution, right?”
Dr. answered. Gay, “Again, it depends on the context.”
In interviews Sunday, a half-dozen faculty members in several Harvard schools and departments said there were few calls on campus for Dr. Gay or fired.
On Sunday, a group of 14 teachers started publishing a petition against the removal of Dr. Gay, which they planned to deliver to the Harvard Corporation. Hundreds of signatures were immediately received.
The petition is two sentences long. The union is urged to “oppose political actions that conflict with Harvard’s commitment to academic freedom, including calls to” I am for the impeachment of President Claudine Gay.”
Melanie Cammett, a leader in the effort and professor of international relations, said the brief reflected the fact that the signatories held a wide range of views about the war in Gaza. against the campus and the statement of Dr. Gay in Congress – but united in opposition. politics at Harvard.
Among those who signed was Laurence Tribe, the constitutional law student, who had previously cited the testimony of Dr. Gay in the forum about anti-semitism “hesitant, fundamental and strange avoidance.”
In an email, he said he decided to sign the petition because, “When I publicly voiced my strong disapproval, and deep frustration with the way President Gay handled Rep. Stefanik’s questions, I want to separate myself from what seemed to me unwise and untrue. dangerous call for his resignation.”
The congressional debate seems to have caused a stronger response among donors and veterans than among current teachers and students, who are preparing for final exams, said a many people in the yard on Sunday.
Mena Solomon, a second teacher, said that Dr. Gay support. “I think he really understood the different perspectives of the students and he fostered an environment where people felt comfortable expressing their opinions,” he said. “I think if he resigns because of the board or because of the wealth of the donors, it will make the students here angry and worried about the state of the campus here and the right now.”
Harvard’s Board of Supervisors, an advisory group consisting of 30 selected alumni as well as Harvard leaders including Dr. Gay, met on Sunday. The group’s agenda included a general review of the university’s response to Hamas’s attack on Israel and Israel’s war in Gaza, according to one person who attended the meeting and asked shall not be mentioned due to the sensitivity of the discussion. But no policy changes at Harvard were made.
The future of the president of Harvard in the school is expected to be discussed at the meeting of the Harvard Corporation on Monday, the people explained at the meeting. The meeting has been scheduled for a long time, but the main outcome of Dr. Gay took front and center after his congressional testimony Tuesday.
People who are familiar with future closed debates also said Dr. Gay, there was tension between the opinion of some of the Board of Directors of the Organization because of his wrong handling of the questions and the desire not to allow Ms. Stefanik and other critics are pushing for a dismissal. on the board.
They also noted a significant difference with the situation at the University of Pennsylvania. There, they said, the weight of many weeks of Ms. Magill, including calls for his resignation. Until the congressional trial, Dr. Gay and such strong criticism.
Dr. Gay last week in the Crimson said he had the support of Penny Pritzker, the chair of the Harvard Foundation’s 12 members, who was a former Obama administration official. Dr. Gay is a member of the Harvard Corporation. Ms. could not be reached for comment. Pritzker on Sunday.
Julian Barnes, Jim Tankersley and Maya Shwayder contributed reporting, and Susan Beachy research session.