It’s Bigger Than Claudine Gay
Claudine Gay Is Just A Symptom Of A Larger Disease That Needs A Cure
Ex-president Claudine Gay has no one to blame but herself. The recently ousted president has only had the position since July of 2023, making her tenure with Harvard, the shortest in their history.
She resigned Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 following accusations of plagiarism and backlash for her response at a congressional hearing in December to questions about antisemitism on U.S. college campuses. Her mounting accusations of plagiarism have given conservatives an opportunity to put a spotlight on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion and its supposed effects on our elite institutions.
This moment is a useful litmus test for all sides of the political spectrum. Anyone who is blaming Gay’s resignation on right-wingers or racists is disingenuous at best. She has been accused of plagiarism almost 50 times. If the accusations are as claimed, this shows a pattern of serious chicanery. Also, if we are going to be honest, if this situation were flipped and she was a conservative straight White guy, the left would be screaming “White privilege” and the like even with just mere allegations.
People on the Right such as Chris Rufo, who spearheaded bringing these accusations to the public at large, view Claudine Gay’s resignation as a huge win and a big dent in their perceived quest to end “wokeism” and “DEI.” But in reality, Claudine Gay is just a pawn and a scapegoat. Her resignation likely won’t even make a dent in restoring faith in any of our elite prestigious institutions.
The real questions everyone should be asking is, “why was she hired in the first place?” Why did Harvard's board handle the allegations so poorly and seek to sue anyone digging into the complaints when they first came to light?
A lot of people will go to the low-hanging fruit and say it was because she was a Black woman. But, to think Gay was hired or fired strictly because of the color of her skin is foolish. There are certainly Black women who couldn’t get near such a prestigious position at Harvard. Take Dr. Carol Swain or Dr. Condoleezza Rice for example.
Claudine Gay was hired not only because she is a “Black woman,” but because she fit within the spectrum of radical leftist ideology and she could be trusted to protect it at all costs. She just found herself between a rock and a hard place, having to toe the thin line of the liberal Jewish Harvard donor class and kowtowing to the radical leftist anti-semitic ideology of the Harvard board and staff.
While Rufo and his Right-winged companions may have been justified in using this opportunity to force Harvard’s hand in grappling with the consequences of such radical ideology they have come to embrace, they fell short in their calls for accountability. They should have not only demanded Gay’s resignation but also demanded the termination or resignation of those who hired Claudine Gay due to their diligent failure. There should also be continued ferocious backlash and donor boycotts by those who value integrity, meritocracy, and principles in academia.
The reality is, that the Right has no power in any of these institutions. Our Universities, especially those we used to perceive as prestigious have become nothing but social Marxist indoctrination centers.
We must stop thinking we’ve achieved checkmate when all we’ve done is take a pawn or two off the board. Claudine Gay is just a symptom of a much larger disease plaguing this country. We must start finding cures for this disease instead of continuously dealing with the symptoms.
Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
 | A guest post by
|
Absolutely on-point. I would argue that the "straw that broke the camel's back" was Gay's alleged plagiarism, NOT her horrible testimony, which smacked of not only tone-deafness with regard to antisemitism, but also a reliance on weasel words during a perfect time to speak plainly about right and wrong. Even calling her a sacrificial lamb goes too far as well, since she will continue to enjoy a hefty salary, despite this ostensible embarrassment. To be truthful, DIE worked for her! If, even when you supposedly lose, you still win, little more need be said. Spoiler Alert: DIE is stronger than ever, and most likely, this occurrence will enhance, versus weaken it.
Peter Boghossian argues that she shouldn't have been fired and his logic is spot on as he writes: There is no other solution but to make the corruption conspicuous and retain disgraced administrators, professors, and presidents. This is also why I was opposed to Claudine Gay’s firing: She was the president Harvard deserved. A grossly under-accomplished, ideologically uncompromising diversity hire who is a serial plagiarist and overtly hostile to meritocracy. I genuinely cannot think of a more perfect person to represent the values of Harvard. And so it is with PhDs who have obtained their position and status by fraud. I can think of no better representatives of corrupt academic institutions than those who fraudulently obtained their credentials.