Claudine Gay resigns as Harvard president

Claudine Gay announced her resignation as Harvard’s president on Tuesday following accusations of plagiarism in her academic works.

“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,” Gay said in a message to Harvard’s community.

The latest accusations of plagiarism were published Monday in The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news outlet. That added to about 40 other accusations of plagiarism.

In addition to the plagiarism allegations, Gay also faced criticism following her testimony last month at a congressional hearing on antisemitism. Critics said she did not condemn antisemitism on Harvard’s campus strongly enough.

Gay in her message Tuesday defended her academic record and said the attacks against her were fueled by racism.

“Amidst all of this, it has been distressing to have doubt cast on my commitments to confronting hate and to upholding scholarly rigor — two bedrock values that are fundamental to who I am — and frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus,” she wrote.