Obama privately lobbied on Harvard’s Claudine Gay’s behalf amid antisemitism controversy

Former President Barack Obama has reportedly backed Harvard President Claudine Gay privately amid controversy surrounding her testimony on antisemitism before Congress.

The testimony led to criticism of Gay’s response to incidents of antisemitism on the Harvard campus. Additionally, allegations of plagiarism against Gay have surfaced, with more than 40 claims outlined in a recent complaint.

News is, Obama’s support for Gay has prompted questions about potential influence, and there are calls for transparency in how Harvard is handling the situation.

In early December, Claudine Gay appeared before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. During the hearing, she faced questions about whether calling for the genocide of Jews on campus violated Harvard’s codes of conduct.

Gay’s response, suggesting that the university would only respond based on the “context,” drew criticism on social media and even garnered a response from the White House.

After the hearing, Gay issued an apology, but the controversy didn’t end there. The Harvard Corporation, the university’s highest governing body, released a statement on December 12 supporting Gay despite widespread calls for her resignation. The board also addressed allegations of plagiarism related to Gay’s academic writing, which had been raised in October.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Harvard’s research integrity officer, Stacey Springs, received a complaint detailing over 40 allegations of plagiarism against Gay’s academic works.

These allegations ranged from missing quotation marks around certain phrases to entire paragraphs lifted verbatim. The controversy intensified, and on the same day, the Harvard Corporation released a summary of a review, acknowledging two additional instances of “duplicative language without appropriate attribution” in Gay’s academic work.

Moreover, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx sent a letter to Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker, seeking more information about how Harvard is handling the plagiarism allegations against Gay and addressing concerns about the unequal application of Harvard’s Honor Code.

The situation has cast a spotlight on Penny Pritzker, a former Obama administration official and a major donor to Harvard. Pritzker personally led the committee that named Gay as president last December, stating that Gay was a “remarkable leader devoted to sustaining and enhancing Harvard’s academic excellence.” Pritzker, who donated $100 million to Harvard last month, has faced questions about her stance on Gay amid the controversy.

Before joining the Harvard Corporation’s statement supporting Gay, Pritzker avoided questions from reporters about whether she believed Gay should step down. Gay claimed at the time that she had Pritzker’s “full support.”

The controversy has led to speculation about Pritzker’s position and how she navigates the situation, with some suggesting she may be reluctant to face the fallout.

As the situation unfolds, there are uncertainties about whether Pritzker spoke with Obama regarding his support for Gay during the Harvard Corporation’s discussions about Gay’s fate at the university.

The controversy at Harvard involves allegations of plagiarism against President Claudine Gay, coupled with concerns about her handling of antisemitism on campus. Former President Barack Obama has reportedly privately supported Gay, and questions are being raised about transparency and accountability in addressing these serious issues within Harvard’s leadership.