Opinion Today: Claudine Gay, and others, on the meaning of her resignation

We've published the former Harvard president's account, as well as several other thoughtful perspectives.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story January 4, 2024 By Kathleen Kingsbury Opinion Editor Harvard has often commanded outsized interest and curiosity from people across the United States and the world, including from many of us who never attended college there or lack direct ties to it. The reason was clear and uncontested for many decades: Harvard stood as one of America's great institutions, a molder of many of the thinkers, leaders, artists and experts who shaped societies and global affairs. In more recent years, the interest in Harvard has become more complicated, and even problematized, as the campus has become a high-profile setting to watch some of society's thorniest debates and tensions play out — a source of object lessons for some and a high-profile target for others. So it has been in recent months with arguments over the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, campus antisemitism, the principles and limits of free speech and, more recently, the leadership and record of its president, Claudine Gay, who resigned Tuesday facing fresh allegations of plagiarism in her academic work. On Wednesday evening, Times Opinion published a guest essay by Gay in which she laid out her most detailed account yet of her experiences since the Oct. 7 attacks — admitting fault and shortcomings in her reaction to the attacks, and saying she "fell into a well-laid trap" set by Republicans at a House hearing on antisemitism last month. She also acknowledged the accusations against her scholarly work. But the bulk of the essay — and what interested us most and led to our decision to publish it — was her argument that the criticism of her was not about one school, one leader or her past work, but "a broader war to unravel public faith in pillars of American society." As Opinion editor, I rarely express my own views publicly on guest essays we publish, but here it's worth saying that, in the current conversation around Harvard, I've been more drawn to arguments made by others. Distance from a controversy can often offer a broader view and nuance, one of the reasons I'm circumspect about the personal essay as a genre. So I'd recommend reading Gay's essay alongside John McWhorter's call in December that she resign, Michelle Goldberg's effort to break down what actually happened in those congressional hearings, or Bret Stephens's column on the impact of social engineering on free thought. I'd also consider Ross Douthat's thoughts on why Harvard let her go. "The Ivy League believes in its progressive doctrines, but not as much as it believes in its own indispensability, its permanent role as an incubator of privilege and influence," Douthat writes. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Still, I'd like to offer Gay the final word because, as we head into 2024, there's no denying this particularly resonant insight from her essay: "At tense moments, every one of us must be more skeptical than ever of the loudest and most extreme voices in our culture, however well organized or well connected they might be." Read our coverage: Guest Essay Claudine Gay: What Just Happened at Harvard Is Bigger Than Me The demagogues won't stop with Harvard. By Claudine Gay Ross Douthat Harvard Couldn't Save Both Claudine Gay and Itself How the left, not just the right, helped bring Gay down. By Ross Douthat Charles M. Blow The Persecution of Harvard's Claudine Gay As Black women have raised their profiles, they've also raised some right-wing hackles. By Charles M. Blow Bret Stephens Claudine Gay and the Limits of Social Engineering at Harvard Universities' purpose must once again be to nurture the best minds, not to engineer social utopias. By Bret Stephens John McWhorter Why Claudine Gay Should Go Recent, growing revelations about past instances of plagiarism by Harvard's president make it untenable for her to remain in office. By John McWhorter Michelle Goldberg At a Hearing on Israel, University Presidents Walked Into a Trap The nationwide uproar is likely to lead to a crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech. By Michelle Goldberg Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay The Thin Blue Line That Divides America The stark symbol wielded in the Capitol riot was always more complicated than it seemed. By Ezekiel Kweku More From Opinion Guest Essay The Advent of A.I. 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Also: Migrants in New York City; how to respond when attacked by Donald Trump. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. 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