In the past month, three university presidents faced strong criticism for their responses to questions about antisemitism on campus during a congressional hearing. As of today, only one of them is still in that position.
During the hearing in December, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) asked University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard University President Claudine Gay, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth whether "calling for the genocide of Jews" would be considered bullying and harassment on campus. Their responses were perceived as vague and legalistic.
Magill became the target of activists who were determined to force her out; she resigned shortly after the disastrous hearing. Harvards Gay also faced criticism for the hearing and a plagiarism scandal. With Gays resignation on Tuesday, MITs Kornbluth is now the only one of the trio still leading a university - and some of the most vocal critics of Gay and Magill have hinted that they may now shift their focus to her.
After Gays resignation, billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who publicly and vocally pushed for Gays removal, posted on X "Et tu Sally?", seemingly referring to Kornbluth.
On Tuesday, when asked for comment in light of Gays resignation, a spokesperson for MIT said the schools "leadership remains focused on ensuring the work of MIT."
Magill and Gay faced intense backlash
Shortly after testifying, Magill released a video apology, stating, "at that time, I was concerned with our University's established policies in accordance with the U.S. Constitution, which state that speech alone is not grounds for punishment."
However, Magill encountered increasing pressure from donors, Republican officials, and alumni. Just three days after her apology, Magill stepped down from her position. Her presidency barely endured for a year.
This week, Harvard president Claudine Gay followed.
Gay also apologized shortly after the December hearing in an interview with the Harvard Crimson.
"She said it's hard to feel anything but regret when words only make things worse with distress and pain,"
However, the calls for Gay's resignation intensified following allegations of plagiarism, with multiple accusations of missing quotation marks and citations.
Harvard alumni Ackman was a prominent critic of Gay, alleging on social media (without evidence) that she was hired by Harvard solely to meet diversity quotas. Both Gay and Harvard have denied this claim.
Despite this, Gay announced her resignation in an email to the Harvard community on Tuesday. She stated that the decision was made after discussions with Harvard's governing boards.
Gay, the first Black president in almost 400 years of Harvard's history and the second woman, had the shortest term in the university's history, serving just over six months.
"It has been troubling to have my dedication to addressing hate and maintaining scholarly rigor - two core values that are integral to my being - questioned, and it has been frightening to endure personal attacks and threats driven by racial animus," Gay expressed in writing.
Both Gay and Magill will stay on as faculty at their respective universities.
Pressure on Kornbluth?
Kornbluth, who is Jewish, did not issue a formal apology following the controversial Capitol Hill hearing unlike the other two in the trio. In response, MIT's governing board, the MIT Corporation, promptly issued a statement after her testimony.
The statement expressed support for Kornbluth and acknowledged her efforts in addressing issues such as antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate. The MIT Corporation stated that they fully and unequivocally support her.
After Gay resigned on Tuesday, attention has now shifted to Kornbluth from those who advocated for the removal of the other two presidents.
"Et tu Sally?" Ackman posted on X, appearing to allude to Kornbluth.
Stefanik, a Harvard graduate, expressed her satisfaction with Gay's departure by posting "TWO DOWN" on social media, seemingly referring to Magill and Gay's resignations.
In another post, Stefanik stated, "Our thorough Congressional investigation will persist in uncovering corruption within our most esteemed higher education institutions and ensuring accountability for the American people."
Several academics have criticized the pressure campaigns that led to the resignations of Magill and Gays. During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, history professor Allison Frank Johnson of Harvard University compared the situation to the Red Scare of the 1950s, when Senator Joseph McCarthy conducted investigations and hearings into academics, government officials, and others accused of communism.
She emphasized the importance of independent universities that are free from external political influence, stating that they are crucial for a healthy democracy. She expressed concern about the potential threat of losing this independence, warning against a repeat of history where universities were targeted for their scholarship based on political motives, akin to the McCarthy-era attacks.
