Harvard faculty members and alumni rallied behind Claudine Gay, the university's president, following her controversial House testimony last week regarding antisemitism on college campuses.
A letter signed by Harvard faculty members was submitted to the Harvard Corporation, the governing body responsible for the institution's academic and financial affairs, opposing calls for Gay's removal. With over 700 signatures, the petition strongly urges the university to defend its independence and resist political pressures that contradict Harvard's commitment to academic freedom.
Gay, along with University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, testified before a House committee on December 5. They were summoned to explain and defend their approaches to the heated protests on college campuses related to the Israel-Hamas war.
All three university leaders faced accusations of not taking a strong enough stance against antisemitism and were criticized by Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, for failing to clearly state whether advocating for genocide against Jews would violate university policies.
The executive committee of the Harvard Alumni Association released a letter on Monday expressing unanimous and unwavering support for Gay.
"President Smith is the perfect leader to navigate the University through this challenging period. They are thoughtful. They are kind," the letter states, adding, "We acknowledge that there was disappointment in their testimony last week. President Smith has acknowledged this and apologized for any distress caused by their testimony — a powerful display of their integrity, determination, and bravery."
Smith, who in July became the first openly LGBTQ+ president in Harvard's 386-year history, also received support from LGBTQ+ Harvard faculty members. A separate letter signed by over 80 LGBTQ+ faculty members objects to "unfair judgments that have been made about their character."
"The insinuation that they would not firmly oppose instances of discrimination and any insinuation that their selection as president was based on race and gender rather than qualifications is baseless and politically motivated," the letter states.
More than 770 LGBTQ+ Harvard alumni and allies joined the wave of support for Smith, expressing in a letter posted on social media Monday that their commitment to freedom of expression is crucial "at a time when censorship of literature is happening across the country and legislators are passing laws that restrict the teaching of history."
Smith's congressional testimony did face criticism from some Harvard students and faculty, with one university professor expressing on social media that Smith's "hesitant, formulaic, and strangely evasive answers were deeply concerning to me and many of my colleagues, students, and friends."
After a heated debate, the House committee has decided to launch an inquiry into several prestigious institutions, including Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Following the controversy surrounding her testimony, Magill has stepped down from her position as president of the University of Pennsylvania. However, she will continue to serve as a tenured professor of law at the university.
