Arr, 'tis said Obama didst lend a hand to fair Harvard President Claudine Gay, amidst a storm o' antisemitism!
2023-12-22
Avast ye! Word be spreadin' that Cap'n Barack Obama himself be whisperin' in the ears o' the bigwigs at Harvard, defendin' Mistress Claudine Gay from the scallywags who be doubting her words on antisemtism. Arrrr, what a tale it be!
Former President Barack Obama has reportedly come to the defense of Harvard President Claudine Gay after she faced criticism for her testimony on antisemitism before Congress. According to a confidential source, Obama privately lobbied on Gay's behalf, seeking to maintain the stability of the broader administration. In her congressional appearance, Gay was questioned about whether calling for the genocide of Jews on campus violated the university's codes of conduct. Her response, that it would depend on the "context," drew criticism on social media and prompted a response from the White House. Gay later issued an apology, but calls for her resignation persisted. Despite the controversy, the fellows of the Harvard Corporation, the university's highest government body, released a statement supporting Gay and addressing allegations of plagiarism in her academic writing. A complaint detailing over 40 allegations of plagiarism against Gay's academic works has also reportedly been filed. Harvard conducted a review and found two additional instances of "duplicative language without appropriate attribution" in Gay's work. The controversy has also brought attention to Penny Pritzker, a former Obama administration official and donor to Harvard, who personally led the search committee that appointed Gay as president. Pritzker has faced questions about her support for Gay, but has not made her position clear. It is unclear whether Pritzker and Obama discussed Gay's situation during the deliberations of the Harvard Corporation. Neither Pritzker's office nor Obama's press contacts have commented on the matter.