‘The only winners are fascists who bullied a brilliant and historic black woman,’ New York congressman says
New York congressman Jamaal Bowman is rushing to former Harvard University president Claudine Gay’s defense, arguing that Gay’s ousting stems from “racism and intimidation,” not “plagiarism or anti-Semitism.”
Bowman in his Tuesday night social media post also labeled those who highlighted Gay’s apparent plagiarism as “fascists who bullied a brilliant & historic Black woman into resignation.” Gay became Harvard’s president in July 2023 after publishing just 17 pieces of academic work—8 of which appear to include what Harvard has described as “duplicative language” pulled from other academics—and her tenure is the shortest in the school’s history.
“This isn’t about plagiarism or anti-Semitism. This is about racism and intimidation,” Bowman said. “2024 will be a battle for truth, democracy, and our shared humanity.”
In addition to the plagiarism scandal, Gay has faced intense criticism over her disastrous December congressional testimony, which saw her contend that calling for the genocide of Jews may not constitute harassment at Harvard. “It depends on the context,” she said. Bowman’s decision to defend Gay from charges of anti-Semitism comes as the left-wing congressman faces similar criticism over his response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist assault on the Jewish state.
Bowman since the attack has blamed both sides for the violence and argued that supporting an Israeli ceasefire—which would embolden Hamas and leave the terror group’s leadership intact—is “what it actually means to be Jewish.” Those positions prompted 26 rabbis in Bowman’s district to condemn the Democrat and call on Westchester County executive George Latimer to launch a primary campaign against him. Latimer entered the race in early December.
“Inexplicably, but predictably, while congressman Bowman condemned the attacks, he put the blame on Israel for its ‘blockade of Gaza,'” the rabbis wrote in October. “He is now calling for an immediate ceasefire, effectively a position of appeasement toward Hamas’s terror regime.”
“Since being elected, Bowman has led the effort to erode support for Israel on Capitol Hill and within the Democratic Party.”
Bowman did not return a request for comment. His defense of Gay echoed the former Harvard president herself, who wrote in her resignation letter that it was “frightening to be subjected to personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.” Harvard similarly defended Gay on her way out of the president’s office, with the school’s board saying Gay “has acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them” while showing “remarkable resilience in the face of deeply personal and sustained attacks.”
Others in the Ivy League and mainstream media came to similar conclusions following Gay’s resignation. Dartmouth professor Roopika Risam, for example, said, “they were always going to come for the leader who’s a brilliant black woman.” Bradford Vivian, a Pennsylvania State University professor and Washington Post contributor, argued that Gay’s resignation would “validate and embolden authoritarian-style attacks on diverse, inclusive, and fair education.”
“A new McCarthyism,” Vivian concluded.
Some within Harvard, however, voiced concern over the plagiarism charges leveled against Gay. A member of the school’s Honor Council, which settles cases of plagiarism and academic dishonesty, penned an op-ed in the student-run Harvard Crimson headlined, “I Vote on Plagiarism Cases at Harvard College. Gay’s Getting off Easy.”
“Omitting quotation marks, citing sources incompletely, or not citing sources at all constitutes plagiarism according to Harvard’s definitions,” the member wrote. “What is striking about the allegations of plagiarism against President Gay is that the improprieties are routine and pervasive.”
