Claudine Gay Testimony
A congressional testimony by the then-president of Harvard, which was described as a 'train wreck' and an outcome of a campus culture that was not protecting its people or upholding principles of free expression.
First Mentioned
9/17/2025, 2:49:46 AM
Last Updated
9/17/2025, 3:01:17 AM
Research Retrieved
9/17/2025, 3:01:17 AM
Summary
The Claudine Gay Testimony was a pivotal event on December 5, 2023, where Claudine Gay, then President of Harvard University, along with other university leaders, testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee in Washington, D.C., regarding antisemitism on college campuses. This testimony was widely criticized and became a prominent negative example within a broader national discussion about the challenges confronting US universities, including eroding public trust, the business model of higher education, and the need for viewpoint diversity. Following the testimony, Gay issued an apology, faced a House resolution calling for her resignation, and became the subject of investigations into both Harvard's handling of antisemitism and subsequent allegations of plagiarism.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Date
2023-12-05
Location
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, USA
Committee
House Education and Workforce Committee
Event Type
Congressional Testimony
Preparation
Conducted by WilmerHale lawyers, including William F. Lee, sidelining public relations experts
Primary Topic
Antisemitism on college campuses
Timeline
- Claudine Gay, Liz Magill, and Sally Kornbluth testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee on antisemitism on college campuses in Washington, D.C. (Source: web_search_results)
2023-12-05
- The testimony is considered a 'negative event' in the broader discussion about the decline of US universities. (Source: related_documents)
2023-12-05
- Claudine Gay apologizes for the poor wording in her testimony, acknowledging the pain it caused. (Source: web_search_results)
2023-12-12
- Harvard's governing body, the Corporation, releases a statement of unanimous support for Claudine Gay after extensive deliberation, temporarily securing her position. (Source: web_search_results)
2023-12-12
- The House of Representatives passes a resolution calling for Claudine Gay's resignation. (Source: web_search_results)
After 2023-12-05
- The House Committee on Education and the Workforce launches an investigation into Harvard's administration's response to antisemitism. (Source: web_search_results)
After 2023-12-05
- Allegations of plagiarism against Claudine Gay emerge following her congressional testimony. (Source: web_search_results)
After 2023-12-05
- Liz Magill, President of the University of Pennsylvania, resigns following her testimony. (Source: web_search_results)
After 2023-12-05
Web Search Results
- University Presidents Testify Before House on Anti-Semitism Transcript
I now turn to the introduction of our witnesses. Our first witness is Dr. Claudine Gay, who is the president of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our second witness is Ms. Liz Magill, who’s the president of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our next witness is Dr. Pamela Nadell who is a professor of history and Jewish studies at American University in Washington DC. And our final witness is Dr. Sally Kornbluth who’s president of the Massachusetts [...] (12:59) I also like to remain the witnesses to be aware of the responsibility to provide accurate information to the committee. If we have a demonstration that gets unruly, we will ask the campus police to take people out immediately. I now recognize Dr. Gay for five minutes. Claudine Gay (13:28): [...] Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott and distinguished members of the committee, my name is Claudine Gay and I’m the president of Harvard University. It’s an honor to be here today representing a community of more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students, more than 19,000 faculty and staff and more than 400,000 alumni, including multiple members of this committee.
- What Harvard, MIT and Penn presidents said at antisemitism hearing
Our first witness is Dr. Claudine Gay, who is the president of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our second witness is Ms. Liz McGill, who’s the president of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our next witness is Dr. Pamela Nadel, who is a professor of history Jewish studies at American University in Washington DC. And our final witness is Dr. Sally Kornbluth, who is president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. [...] CLAUDINE GAY: Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott, and distinguished members of the committee, my name is Claudine Gay and I am the president of Harvard University. It’s an honor to be here today, representing a community of more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students, more than 19,000 faculty and staff, and more than 400,000 alumni, including multiple members of this committee.
- Who is Claudine Gay, Harvard's president? | CNN Business
159.34 + 2.09 1.33% Fear & Greed Index 78 Link Copied! Image 1: WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 05: Dr. Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Committee held a hearing to investigate antisemitism on college campuses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Harvard President Claudine Gay. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images New York CNN— [...] “President Gay is the right leader to guide the University during this challenging time,” the committee wrote in a letter to school officials. “She is thoughtful. She is kind. She is resolutely dedicated to the growth and wellbeing of our very diverse community. We recognize that there was disappointment in her testimony this past week. President Gay has pointed this out and apologized for any pain her testimony caused–a powerful demonstration of her integrity, determination, and courage.” [...] Gay would later apologize for the poor wording in the testimony, which was echoed by former University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, who resigned Saturday, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, who has not faced any serious repercussions.
- Claudine Gay - Wikipedia
Claudine Gay (born August 4, 1970) is an American political scientist who is the Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University. Her research focuses on American political behavior, including voter turnout and politics of race and identity. [...] 55. ^ Kim, Juliana; Chappell, Bill; Nadworny, Elissa (December 12, 2023). "Harvard affirms President Claudine Gay will not step down over antisemitism testimony". NPR. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023. 56. ^ Wieczner, Jen (December 12, 2023). "How Bill Ackman's Campaign to Oust Harvard's President Failed". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023. [...] has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the University's fight against antisemitism."
- The Rise and Fall of Harvard President Claudine Gay | News
The Crimson also reported that the Corporation’s former Senior Fellow William F. Lee ’72 played an outsized role in Gay’s testimony preparation alongside other lawyers from WilmerHale, a law firm where Lee is a partner. WilmerHale’s involvement in preparing Gay for her testimony sidelined external public relations and communications experts. [...] After the testimony, the House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for Gay’s resignation and the House Committee on Education and the Workforcelaunched an investigation into both the administration's response to antisemitism and later, allegations of plagiarism against Gay. [...] After staying silent for a week, the Corporation, Harvard’s top governing body, released a statement of unanimous support for Gay, following what they said was “extensive deliberation.” Gay’s position was temporarily secured. Allegations of Plagiarism But it was allegations of plagiarism which emerged following Gay’s congressional testimony that may have dealt the final blow to her presidency.