Harvard President Will Keep Her Job Amid Backlash

The University of Pennsylvania may have lost its president over her antisemitism testimony, but that's not the case at Harvard. The university's governing board on Tuesday voiced its support for Claudine Gay, reports the Harvard Crimson. Gay, along with the presidents of UPenn and MIT, has been under heavy criticism since testifying earlier this month before a House panel investigating antisemitism on US campuses. All three were asked whether students calling for the genocide of Jews would face punishment, and all three gave legalistic answers.

"In this tumultuous and difficult time, we unanimously stand in support of President Gay," Harvard's board said in a statement, per the Washington Post. Gay later apologized for her congressional testimony, declaring that calls for genocide "are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account." More than 600 faculty members signed a petition in support of Gay, who became president in July, notes the AP.

"Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing," reads the statement from governing board. (GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who questioned the school presidents during the Dec. 5 hearing, says she wants all three out of their jobs as the House continues to investigate the issue.)