Why has Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard?

Gay’s resignation letter cited personal threats amid rising tensions about anti-Semitism and war on Gaza.

After just six months as president of Harvard University, Claudine Gay has stepped down following allegations of plagiarism and a backlash over what was described as an inadequate response to campus anti-Semitism.

Gay was the university’s first Black president and only the second woman to take the role in its 388-year history. Her tenure is the shortest in the history of the university. In her resignation letter, she cited personal attacks “fuelled by racial animus” and stated that she wished to act in the “best interests” of the Harvard community and to enable it to navigate current tensions sparked by the Israel-Gaza war.

Here is what you need to know about her resignation.

Gay, 53, was named the Wilbur A Cowett Professor of Government at Harvard in 2015. She is also a professor of African and African-American studies. She became the 30th president of Harvard University when she took the post on July 1, 2023. She succeeded Lawrence S Bacow, 72, who had served as president since 2018.

A political scientist by training, Gay previously served as dean of social science for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard. She first joined Harvard in 2006 as a professor in the Department of Government, where she also completed her PhD in 1998. Gay earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stanford University in 1992.