CNN: Harvard President Claudine Gay Announces Resignation

SANCHEZ We re continuing ░░░░░░░░ follow breaking news this ░░░░░░░░ Claudine Gay has announced ░░░░░░░░ she is stepping down ░░░░░░░░ Harvard s president after ░░░░░░░░ six months on the ░░░░░░░░ In a letter to ░░░░░░░░ university today Gay wrote ░░░░░░░░ after consultation with members ░░░░░░░░ the Corporation it has ░░░░░░░░ clear that it is ░░░░░░░░ the best interest of ░░░░░░░░ for me to resign ░░░░░░░░ that our community can ░░░░░░░░ this moment of extraordinary ░░░░░░░░ with a focus on ░░░░░░░░ institution rather than any ░░░░░░░░ KEILAR Gay had been ░░░░░░░░ pressure to step down ░░░░░░░░ her controversial testimony last ░░░░░░░░ about anti Semitism on ░░░░░░░░ and then over plagiarism ░░░░░░░░ She recently requested corrections ░░░░░░░░ some of her academic ░░░░░░░░ including her 1997 dissertation ░░░░░░░░ have CNN s Matt ░░░░░░░░ following this story for ░░░░░░░░ and we should be ░░░░░░░░ these two things are ░░░░░░░░ because looking at her ░░░░░░░░ works and certainly there ░░░░░░░░ problems with them but ░░░░░░░░ is something that came ░░░░░░░░ it seems because of ░░░░░░░░ of the criticism of ░░░░░░░░ she said in that ░░░░░░░░ EGAN Yeah Brianna I ░░░░░░░░ that s right It ░░░░░░░░ all connected Now Claudine ░░░░░░░░ is announcing here that ░░░░░░░░ is stepping down She ░░░░░░░░ this decision as difficult ░░░░░░░░ words and she used ░░░░░░░░ personal terms to describe ░░░░░░░░ past few months Let ░░░░░░░░ read what she said ░░░░░░░░ that statement to the ░░░░░░░░ She said It has ░░░░░░░░ distressing to have doubt ░░░░░░░░ on my commitment to ░░░░░░░░ hate and to upholding ░░░░░░░░ rigor two bedrock values ░░░░░░░░ are fundamental to who ░░░░░░░░ am and frightening to ░░░░░░░░ subjected to personal attacks ░░░░░░░░ threats fueled by racial ░░░░░░░░ Now this stunning development ░░░░░░░░ just three weeks after ░░░░░░░░ s top board announced ░░░░░░░░ unanimous support for Gay ░░░░░░░░ that board the Harvard ░░░░░░░░ has accepted the resignation ░░░░░░░░ Gay who we should ░░░░░░░░ is the first black ░░░░░░░░ in Harvard s nearly ░░░░░░░░ year history She is ░░░░░░░░ the second woman to ░░░░░░░░ the university and the ░░░░░░░░ that she is now ░░░░░░░░ down six months into ░░░░░░░░ presidency means that this ░░░░░░░░ the shortest presidency in ░░░░░░░░ s history Now the ░░░░░░░░ Corporation put out its ░░░░░░░░ statement saying that they ░░░░░░░░ this resignation with deep ░░░░░░░░ And they d said ░░░░░░░░ Gay acknowledged some missteps ░░░░░░░░ they also described resilience ░░░░░░░░ she showed in the ░░░░░░░░ of what they called ░░░░░░░░ vitriol in private emails ░░░░░░░░ private phone calls Harvard ░░░░░░░░ said that its provost ░░░░░░░░ Garber he has agreed ░░░░░░░░ become the interim president ░░░░░░░░ how did we get ░░░░░░░░ Obviously it s just ░░░░░░░░ a very tumultuous period ░░░░░░░░ back to the October ░░░░░░░░ attacks on Israel by ░░░░░░░░ the university was criticized ░░░░░░░░ its response criticized for ░░░░░░░░ anti Israel student statement ░░░░░░░░ was the December 5th ░░░░░░░░ before Congress where Gay ░░░░░░░░ to apologize for her ░░░░░░░░ there The Harvard board ░░░░░░░░ offered its unanimous support ░░░░░░░░ December 12 said there ░░░░░░░░ be some corrections to ░░░░░░░░ s academic work Then ░░░░░░░░ 21st there were even ░░░░░░░░ corrections and now Gay ░░░░░░░░ announced her resignation So ░░░░░░░░ s been a combination ░░░░░░░░ all of these factors ░░░░░░░░ to the end of ░░░░░░░░ Gay s presidency at ░░░░░░░░ SANCHEZ Matt Egan thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for the ░░░░░░░░