Editorial: Claudine Gay’s Resignation Affects Us All
Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth give testimony to Congress, Dec. 5, 2023 Courtesy of Puck News
By the 146th Board
“When my brief presidency is remembered, I hope it will be seen as a moment of reawakening to the importance of striving to find our common humanity — and of not allowing rancor and vituperation to undermine the vital process of education. I trust we will all find ways, in this time of intense challenge and controversy, to recommit ourselves to the excellence, the openness, and the independence that are crucial to what our university stands for — and to our capacity to serve the world.”
Dr. Claudine Gay’s resignation from her tenure as president of Harvard University followed months of public scrutiny around Harvard’s tolerance of political protests on campus, Gay’s statements during the Congressional hearings about free speech, and allegations of plagiarism in her academic work. What is discussed far less is the dedication that Gay held to her alma mater and to upholding her values of equal opportunity and intellectual curiosity.
An alumna of the class of 1988 and former trustee of Exeter (2017-2023), Gay’s deep connection to the Academy and its values is undeniable. “It was a privilege to serve with Dr. Gay as trustees at Exeter,” said President of the Board of Trustees, Morgan Sze. “During her six years she made important contributions in many areas, including serving on our new mission statement task force and co-chairing our principal search. Her prioritization of her time for Exeter amidst her busy schedule showed how much Exeter means to her. We are fortunate to have trustees from diverse backgrounds serving the Academy who, like Dr. Gay, all generously share a dedication to non sibi service.”
Principal Bill Rawson, well acquainted with Gay from her time as a trustee, commented, “Not surprisingly, I was saddened to see her tenure end in the way it did. Dr.Gay made important contributions as a trustee and was a strong and thoughtful presence at the trustee table.”
Gay stepped down as a trustee of the Academy in June in anticipation of her inauguration to Harvard’s presidency on Sep. 29, 2023. At the time, she was celebrated for making history as the second woman and first person of color to serve as the university’s president. “Our stories − and the stories of the many trailblazers between us− are linked by this institution’s long history of exclusion and the long journey of resistance and resilience to overcome it,” Gay said in her inauguration speech. “And because of the collective courage of all those who dared to create a different future, I stand before you on this stage able to say, ‘I am Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University.’”
A week after she assumed the role, Hamas launched the devastating Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities along the nation’s southern border with Gaza. International attention turned to the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine, inciting dual outrage at the massacre of Israeli civilians and the long-term plight of the Palestinian civilians. Enraged and frequently misinformed university students across America took to protesting, both in person and over social media, as advocates of both “sides” of the conflict.
But the protests turned violent. Students were heard intolerably calling for the genocide of the Israeli people, while others blatantly denied that Palestinians were victims of human rights violations. Three major university presidents— Dr. Sally Kornbluth of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Claudine Gay of Harvard University— were called to testify before Congress on Dec. 5 about emerging antisemitism on their campuses. The crux arrived when they were each asked by Representative Elise Stefanik, in turn, “At [your institution], does calling for the genocide of Jews violate the rules of bullying and harassment?” to which they each replied that “it can, depending on the context.” These controversial statements, likely made upon shared legal advice, garnered significant criticism, and many called for the three presidents’ resignation. At this stage, Magill resigned from her post, but Kornbluth and Gay received votes of confidence from their respective boards.
Gay’s presidency, which was already placed under unprecedented levels of scrutiny given her race and gender, fell even more directly into the spotlight following the hearings. Questions about her publication record and allegations of academic plagiarism surfaced, and after issuing a series of corrections for inadequate citations and additional allegations surfaced, Gay made the decision to step down from her role. In her farewell message to the Harvard community, later published by The New York Times, Gay clarified, “after consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.”
With this, Gay encapsulated the core of the issue with the accusations, social media, and the nation’s discourse: they are focusing on the wrong things. How did a devastating terrorist attack halfway across the world cause the resignation of two Ivy League women presidents and cast doubt on the tenets of free speech and diversity, equity, and inclusion? Why is it that, at any point, there was more news coverage of this domestic dispute than the very real, terrifying war and casualties occuring in the Middle East? Is it a coincidence that all three of the presidents called before Congress were women? And further—will the removal of Magill and now Gay truly reshape or improve their universities?
Is the fervor and controversy surrounding Gay’s presidency merely a proxy battle for a greater culture war?
These questions yield no easy, nor certain, answers.
What is certain, Rawson promised, is that Exeter will strive to remain true to its core values of freedom of speech, knowledge and goodness, academic excellence, youth from every quarter, and non sibi in the face of external pressures.
“I speak about the importance of free speech to our school mission at every Opening Assembly,” Rawson said. “Our core value of academic excellence recognizes the importance of rigorous inquiry and thoughtful discourse to our pursuit of complex truths. Our commitment to free speech also is embedded in our Vision Statement for DEI, which calls upon all of us to be open to ideas and perspectives that might differ from our own, and to engage across differences, including differences in political beliefs.”
Rawson continued, “Toward that end, I have said we must learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable, and we should expect a diversity of viewpoints on almost every subject worth exploring. To realize fully the promise of our richly diverse community and make the most of the opportunities to learn with and from each other, we seek always to create a learning environment where all members of the community have a strong sense of belonging and all voices are heard.”
We, at Exeter, must now come together as a community to define concepts like “freedom of speech” and determine what lines should not be crossed. This will take time — we might not get it right all at once or all of the time, but we must be willing to engage in the difficult dialogue and journey to get there.