“It is with a heavy heart but with a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president,” Ms. Gay wrote in a letter to the Harvard community. “After consulting with members of the corporation, it is clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to step down so that our community can overcome this extraordinary challenge by focusing on the institution rather than any individual.”
Gay did not say when she planned to formally step down, but she described the decision as “indescribably difficult.”
Harvard president resigns.
Gay’s resignation comes amid turmoil at one of America’s most prestigious universities, marking the end of the tenure of the first black president and second female leader in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history. The controversy has centered on Harvard’s attraction of CEOs, billionaires, powerful donors and even congressional leaders.
Gay made the decision to step down as Harvard president late last week, a person close to Gay told CNN.
The presidents of Harvard and MIT have drawn intense scrutiny amid outrage over their statements to Congress about anti-Semitism on campus. Ms. Gay also noted that “it is distressing to have my commitment to confronting hate and upholding academic rigor — two values that are fundamental to who I am — questioned, and it is frightening to have been subjected to personal attacks and threats motivated by racial hatred.”
The Harvard Corporation has defended Ms Gay and said it accepted her resignation “with sadness”. The corporation, which governs Harvard University, said she had shown “remarkable resilience in the face of profound and sustained personal attacks”.
Ms Gay's career has also been affected in part by an ongoing plagiarism scandal and a congressional hearing last month.
Tensions have been rising at several US universities following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Hundreds of protests and demonstrations have taken place on university campuses, some of which have turned violent.
The faces and names of several students allegedly involved in anti-Israel statements have been displayed on billboards near the campuses of both Harvard and Columbia. Another Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania, has alerted the FBI to anti-Semitic threats of violence against several faculty members.
Phuong Anh (Source: CNN)
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