Elon Musk has reignited the conversation by advocating for the withdrawal of Harvard University’s funding.
What Happened: On Tuesday, Musk called for the cessation of taxpayer money to Harvard, as reported by Business Insider. This follows a social media post by C. Bradley Thompson, a Clemson University professor, who suggested that Harvard’s leadership is under scrutiny due to its handling of the current antisemitic controversy involving its president, Claudine Gay.
Musk also demanded the entire Harvard governing board’s dismissal, saying “Shame on the board. They all need to go,” in response to a post by Bill Ackman revealing the board’s decision to keep Gay as president.
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The SpaceX CEO, also a University of Pennsylvania alumnus, voiced his disappointment at the universities’ management of the issue, saying “I am a Penn alum and this is indeed shameful.”
Despite the controversy, over 500 current Harvard faculty members have appealed to the board to support Gay, according to the student newspaper. The Harvard Alumni Association Executive Committee has also called on the board to support Gay.
Why It Matters: The controversy surrounding Gay stems from a congressional hearing on antisemitism, where her response to questions about antisemitism on campus sparked outrage from lawmakers and donors, leading to calls for her resignation as reported by Benzinga. This incident followed a wave of protests on college campuses, with billionaires such as Leon Cooperman and Cliff Asness threatening to stop donations to their respective alma maters over pro-Palestine protests according to another Benzinga report. These events have reignited a national conversation about antisemitism on college campuses.
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