Harvard Students Write Newspaper Editorial Pressuring President Claudine Gay To Resign

Students at Harvard penned an editorial in the university newspaper calling for President Claudine Gay to resign.

"University President Claudine Gay should resign," the piece begins. "Harvard’s presidency is no mere empty honor; it is a deeply challenging managerial job with deeply challenging duties, not least of which is navigating national outcry," the piece continued. 

Gay enters 2024 facing credible allegations of both plagiarism and antisemitism.

"Harvard’s presidency is no mere empty honor; it is a deeply challenging managerial job with deeply challenging duties, not least of which is navigating national outcry," the piece continues.

"In each of these respects, Gay has failed. The Harvard Corporation must find a leader who can do better."

You can read the full article, titled "Dissent: For Harvard’s Sake, It’s Time to Let Gay Go," below:

As of publication, Gay has no plans to resign. Nor does Harvard plan to fire her.

In fact, the university continues to downplay proof she plagiarized academic writings with the euphemistic phrase of “inadequate citations.”

If only the university had such sympathy for the dozens of students it punishes per year for plagiarism. If only.

But unlike most students, Claudine Gay has leverage.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson recently dismissed calls for Gay to face punishment as "racist." That was the NAACP's way of forewarning the university of the allegations it would levy should the school hold Gay accountable for her many misdeeds.

Harvard University is one of the most politically progressive colleges in the nation. Thus, it would prefer not to be on record for firing a black woman.

The NAACP knows that. So does Claudine Gay.

However, the pressure to move on from Gay continues to mount. And it's not just right-wingers calling for Harvard to punish her, as her defenders suggest.

In addition to the latest op-ed in the student paper, several early acceptees recently informed the university they rejected their letters of acceptance.

The students cited Gay's lack of leadership and concerns a Harvard degree could limit their appeal to future employers.

As of last month, the school reported a 17% drop in early applications from the year prior.

(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

And then there are the donors, the bedrock of Harvard University.

Len Blavatnik is just the latest billionaire donor to freeze any further donations to the university.

Blavatnik blamed his decision on Gay refusing during congressional testimony earlier this month to declare “calls for genocide of Jewish” people “a violation of campus rules on harassment.”

Gay's race card is now in conflict with Harvard's bottom line. Meaning, Gay's job might not be as safe as it appears.

Harvard chose to excuse Gay's behavior to avoid the negative perception of firing her.

But can Harvard maintain its reputation as the preeminent U.S. university if students, future students, and donors no longer consider it as such?

The answer to that question is likely to determine the future of Claudine Gay.