Harvard, MIT, UPenn presidents to be ‘pressured’ on antisemitism at House hearing

Claudine Gay’s tenure as the first Black woman to be Harvard University’s president is beginning with a national spotlight on the school’s reaction to the Israeli-Hamas conflict. 

Three college presidents, including Gay, will face Rep. Virginia Foxx Tuesday morning to address their “mishandling of antisemitic, violent protests” at a Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing.

Foxx said she will “pressure” Gay, Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill at Tuesday’s hearing. Pamela Nadell, an American University professor of history and Jewish studies, will also testify.

“I want to ask them when they’re going to get a spine,” Foxx told Newsmax, “and do what it is they should be doing, which is condemning terrorism and doing what they can to protect their students.”

At Harvard, a group of students signed a letter in October saying Israel was “entirely responsible” for Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack that killed more than a 1,000 people and took about 240 more hostage. The letter was criticized nationally, and many students were doxxed as antisemitic.

Gay released a statement soon after, saying “Our University rejects terrorism – that includes the barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.” MIT also released a statement, saying the “deliberate attack on innocent civilians can never be justified.”

Magill also condemned the Hamas attacks on Oct. 15. A video on X allegedly shows pro-Palestine protests on UPenn’s campus on Monday night. 

Note: This story will be updated after the hearing.

Molly Farrar

Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.

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