More than 630 Harvard University faculty members signed a petition in support of President Claudine Gay following her House hearing on protests that broke out on campus over Israel's attacks on civilians in Gaza. Gay, along with two other provosts, Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, who resigned yesterday, and Sally Kornbluth of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have found themselves in the crosshairs of 70 lawmakers, mostly Republican politicians, calling for her resignation. The petition, launched by 14 professors, argues that politicizing the hearing cannot lead to Gay's firing and that academic freedom should not bow to political pressure.
What happened at the House hearing?
The president of one of the most prestigious US universities was questioned in the House of Representatives about the student code of conduct and whether action has been taken against users who threaten or support Jewish genocide. His answers were not very convincing. The moments were shared on social media by Republican Congresswoman Elise Stephanik. “Is the call for genocide against Jews at your university harassment or aggression or not?” asks Stephanik. “It depends on the context,” Gay replied. Worse statements were also heard in the hall, such as that from Rector Magill, who hid himself by saying that “behaviour matters: only when words become actions”.
Funders risk stopping giving to Harvard
If Gay receives the support of the teaching staff, La Stampa emphasizes today, the financiers will no longer risk donations to the American university. Bill Ackman, billionaire and former Harvard student, has been running a campaign for weeks calling for major initiatives by the university administration to protect Jewish students. “Because President Gay has failed to strengthen Harvard’s rules, Jewish students, faculty and others now fear for their safety as physical abuse of students goes unpunished,” he wrote in an open letter to the Board of Trustees shortly before their meeting on Sunday. And finally: “Knowing what you know now, would you consider Claudine Gay for the position (of president, editor’s note)?” The answer is definitely no.”
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