Claudine Gay, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, speaks during the 368th Commencement Exercises at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 30, 2019.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned Tuesday amid new allegations of plagiarism.
Gay has been under fire for weeks because she of how she handled questions over Harvard’s response to anti-semitic vitriol and because of claims that she failed to properly cite sources in her academic papers.
Gay, who was the first Black person to serve as Harvard’s president, had served in that post for just over six months.
“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 said in a statement Tuesday.
“This is not a decision I came to easily. Indeed, it has been difficult beyond words because I have looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries,” she said.
“But, 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 said.
On Monday, The Free Beacon news site reported that a new unsigned complaint filed with Harvard had alleged six new allegations of plagiarism against Gay.
A spokesman for Harvard, and Gay’s office, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CNBC.
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