11 months ago
Harvard University president Claudine Gay apologized Thursday for her comments during a House Education committee hearing, during which she said that calling for genocide of Jews may or may not violate university rules "depending on the context."
Gay is among several university presidents who have faced intense criticism of their response to antisemitism on campus following Hamas’ attack on Israel in October.
In her testimony earlier this week , Gay acknowledged an “alarming” rise in antisemitism at Harvard. But, when asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews [violates] Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment,” she responded “It can be, depending on the context,” sparking fury inside and outside the university community.
"I am sorry," Claudine Gay told Harvard’s student newspaper in an interview on Thursday. "When words amplify distress and pain, I don’t know how you could feel anything but regret."
The House Education Committee followed its hearing with an announcement on Thursday that it will investigate Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania.
“After this week’s pathetic and morally bankrupt testimony by university presidents when answering my questions, the Education and Workforce Committee is launching an official Congressional investigation with the full force of subpoena power into Penn, MIT, & Harvard and others,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a member of the committee who asked especially pointed questions during the presidents' testimony, said in a statement.
Gay is among many university presidents who have faced intense criticism of their response to antisemitism following Hamas’ attack on Israel in October. Axios reported on Thursday that University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, whose testimony this week has also been widely panned, was asked to resign by the board of Penn’s Wharton business school.
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