Harvard President Claudine Gay announced Tuesday she is stepping down just six months into her presidency amid a firestorm of controversy at the university.
“It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president,” Gay wrote in a letter to the Harvard community. “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.”
Gay did not say when she plans to formally step down but she described the decision as “difficult beyond words.”
Gay’s resignation comes amid a period of extreme turmoil at one of America’s most prestigious universities and marks the end of the presidency of the first Black president and second woman in Harvard’s nearly 400-year history. The controversy swirling around Harvard drew in CEOs, billionaires, powerful donors and even leaders of Congress.
Gay made the decision to step down as Harvard’s president late last week, a person close to Gay told CNN.
That timing indicates Gay was already planning to resign before new plagiarism allegations emerged that were first reported by the Washington Free Beacon on Monday.
Gay acknowledged the short length of her tenure, writing: “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,” Gay said.
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