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Harvard University receives complaint outlining over 40 allegations of plagiarism against Claudine Gay

A copy of the complaint revealed that Claudine Gay quoted or paraphrased authors without proper attribution

Published on: Dec 20, 2023, 15:30:11 IST
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A complaint received by Harvard University on Tuesday, December 19, outlined more than40 allegations of plagiarism against president Claudine 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.

Harvard President Claudine Gay speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) (AP)
Harvard President Claudine Gay speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) (AP)

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.

Earlier this month, the Harvard Corporation said it initiated an independent review Gay's work in October. However, it apparently found "no violation of Harvard's standards for research misconduct.” Notably, the investigation focused only on three papers.

"[I]t is impossible that your office has already reviewed the entirety of these materials," the complaint reads, "as many … have not been previously reported or submitted." If a probe finds her guilty, there could be major consequences like suspension," "rank reduction," and "termination of employment,” according to the official policies of the school.

In fact, an X user, writerChristopher F. Rufo, highlighted how Gay “plagiarized the language of her acknowledgment from the acknowledgment of another scholar, without citing the source.” “She couldn't even say "thank you" without plagiarizing the language,” Rufo wrote.

Gay came under fire after her remarks at a recent Capitol Hill hearing. Presidents of various universities were asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” is against the universities’ respective codes of conduct. Gay simply responded to the question, saying, “When speech crosses into conduct, we take action.” She was heavily criticised for her “silence” on the issue despite getting a massive platform to voice her opinions.

  • Sumanti Sen
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    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More