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Harvard Honor Council student calls for Claudine Gay's resignation, says school has double standard
“That the Corporation considers her corrections an adequate response is not fair to undergraduates,” the student wrote
A member of Harvard’s student Honor Council said president Claudine Gay must resign after plagiarism allegations against her surfaced. The student accused the school’s governing body of double standard – one for Gay and the other for the students body. “Gay’s getting off easy,” the student wrote in a letter published anonymously in the Harvard Crimson.
“Let’s compare the treatment of Harvard undergraduates suspected of plagiarism with that of their president,” they wrote. “When students — my classmates, peers, and friends — appear before the council, they are distraught. For most, it is the worst day of their college careers. For some, it is the worst day of their lives. They often cry.”
A complaint received by Harvard University on December 19, outlined more than 40 allegations of plagiarism against Gay. The new allegations were submitted to Harvard's research integrity officer, Stacey Springs. These included examples reported by the Washington Free Beacon and other outlets.
A copy of the complaint reviewed by the Free Beacon revealed that Gay quoted or paraphrased authors without proper attribution, including missing quotation marks around phrases or sentences. Even entire paragraphs were lifted without any changes made. The entire list of examples include as many as seven of Gay’s publications, which is nearly half of her scholarly output.
“What is striking about the allegations of plagiarism against President Gay is that the improprieties are routine and pervasive,” the letter said.
The student added in the letter the school backed Gay and helped her correct the mistakes instead of forcing her to resign.
“That the Corporation considers her corrections an adequate response is not fair to undergraduates, who cannot simply submit corrections to avoid penalties,” the student wrote.
“When my peers are found responsible for multiple instances of inadequate citation, they are often suspended for an academic year. When the president of their university is found responsible for the same types of infractions, the fellows of the Corporation ‘unanimously stand in support of’ her,” the letter said, referring to the Corporation’s statement about the row.
While some backed Gay saying her plagiarism was unintentional, others called for her to step down from her position. “A sober-minded assessment of the plagiarism charges indicates that Gay’s behavior constitutes plagiarism, but since the errors do not appear intentional, they do not warrant her resignation,” the Harvard Crimson’s editorial board wrote in an op-ed previously.
Dismissing the arguments, the student said, “While a single lifted paragraph could be blamed on a lapse in judgment, a pattern is more concerning.” There is one standard for me and my peers and another, much lower standard for our University’s president. The Corporation should resolve the double standard by demanding her resignation.”
