Rep. Stefanik: Claudine Gay’s Resignation Is ‘Long Overdue’

ROBERTS Joining us now ░░░░░░░░ the phone is House ░░░░░░░░ conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik ░░░░░░░░ thank you for being ░░░░░░░░ us This all began ░░░░░░░░ your line of questioning ░░░░░░░░ their answers to it ░░░░░░░░ Gay in her resignation ░░░░░░░░ said in part Amidst ░░░░░░░░ of this it has ░░░░░░░░ distressing to have doubt ░░░░░░░░ on my commitments to ░░░░░░░░ hate and to upholding ░░░░░░░░ vigor two bedrock values ░░░░░░░░ are fundamental to who ░░░░░░░░ am and frightening to ░░░░░░░░ subjected to personal attacks ░░░░░░░░ threats fueled by racial ░░░░░░░░ If you look at ░░░░░░░░ some people could be ░░░░░░░░ for thinking that that ░░░░░░░░ at least partially aimed ░░░░░░░░ you What do you ░░░░░░░░ STEFANIK I say John ░░░░░░░░ all three university presidents ░░░░░░░░ morally bankrupt testimony at ░░░░░░░░ now infamous congressional hearing ░░░░░░░░ a very specific moral ░░░░░░░░ Does calling for the ░░░░░░░░ of Jews violate your ░░░░░░░░ s code of conduct ░░░░░░░░ one after the other ░░░░░░░░ it was MIT Penn ░░░░░░░░ Harvard failed to answer ░░░░░░░░ correctly instead bringing up ░░░░░░░░ depends on the context ░░░░░░░░ you played earlier it ░░░░░░░░ not depend on the ░░░░░░░░ And as a Harvard ░░░░░░░░ myself we have seen ░░░░░░░░ failure of leadership from ░░░░░░░░ Gay a failure of ░░░░░░░░ leadership but also a ░░░░░░░░ of academic integrity which ░░░░░░░░ a cornerstone of any ░░░░░░░░ education institution So I ░░░░░░░░ for her resignation as ░░░░░░░░ did for all three ░░░░░░░░ of their abject failure ░░░░░░░░ that congressional testimony and ░░░░░░░░ failure to protect Jewish ░░░░░░░░ This is long overdue ░░░░░░░░ should not have taken ░░░░░░░░ Harvard Corporation Board this ░░░░░░░░ to demand her resignation ░░░░░░░░ I believe as we ░░░░░░░░ our congressional investigation that ░░░░░░░░ will uncover what will ░░░░░░░░ the greatest scandal in ░░░░░░░░ education because the Harvard ░░░░░░░░ members themselves are complicit ░░░░░░░░ this cover up of ░░░░░░░░ plagiarism and again most ░░░░░░░░ their failure to protect ░░░░░░░░ students on campus TURNER ░░░░░░░░ this is Gillian So ░░░░░░░░ answer to your repeated ░░░░░░░░ at that hearing underscored ░░░░░░░░ really ignited a lot ░░░░░░░░ doubt amongst the Jewish ░░░░░░░░ at Harvard about her ░░░░░░░░ to protect Jewish studentss ░░░░░░░░ anti Semitism from direct ░░░░░░░░ of attack but she ░░░░░░░░ also at this intersection ░░░░░░░░ where she s facing ░░░░░░░░ 50 accusations of plagiarism ░░░░░░░░ her academic publications Do ░░░░░░░░ think that your line ░░░░░░░░ questioning is behind and ░░░░░░░░ what drove this ousting ░░░░░░░░ do you think it ░░░░░░░░ more of sort of ░░░░░░░░ that broke the camel ░░░░░░░░ back type of situation ░░░░░░░░ You know this accountability ░░░░░░░░ not have happened were ░░░░░░░░ not for that congressional ░░░░░░░░ and I think what ░░░░░░░░ forced was greater scrutiny ░░░░░░░░ her position as the ░░░░░░░░ of Harvard And you ░░░░░░░░ to remember Gillian she ░░░░░░░░ selected as president of ░░░░░░░░ in a shorter search ░░░░░░░░ know executive search than ░░░░░░░░ other previous president and ░░░░░░░░ should have found out ░░░░░░░░ there were fifty credible ░░░░░░░░ of plagiarism And the ░░░░░░░░ that the Harvard Corporation ░░░░░░░░ now know knew about ░░░░░░░░ before the congressional hearing ░░░░░░░░ tried to cover it ░░░░░░░░ and threaten media outlets ░░░░░░░░ sue them is a ░░░░░░░░ When you are a ░░░░░░░░ of any university you ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ president your faculty and ░░░░░░░░ students uphold the rigors ░░░░░░░░ academic integrity and instead ░░░░░░░░ wanted to hide this ░░░░░░░░ their students from their ░░░░░░░░ So this accountability would ░░░░░░░░ have happened were it ░░░░░░░░ for the very clear ░░░░░░░░ questions at the hearing ░░░░░░░░ there were many people ░░░░░░░░ spoke out and really ░░░░░░░░ was the over one ░░░░░░░░ views because of the ░░░░░░░░ testimony that led to ░░░░░░░░ day.”