House to Investigate Claudine Gay, Harvard Amid New Plagiarism Accusations

Harvard and its president Claudine Gay are now the focus of a House probe amid new claims that she plagiarized numerous times throughout her academic career, including in her doctoral dissertation.

The Details: Harvard announced corrections to two of Gay's academic works after allegations of plagiarism originally surfaced last week, and now says she'll update her dissertation as well. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce opened a review of how Harvard has managed the allegations. The Harvard Corporation, which acts as the university's top governing body, commissioned a panel to review the claims. It found that none amounted to punishable plagiarism.

Key Quotes: "The members of the subcommittee and the Corporation concluded that Gay’s inadequate citations, while regrettable, did not constitute research misconduct," said a Harvard spokesperson Thursday.

How the Media Covered it: Sources across the spectrum framed Gay negatively. Many highlighted how Harvard said the corrections were to "inadequate citations" rather than "plagiarism," and suggested that as evidence that the university will stand by her. The Wall Street Journal (Center bias) said the new accusations "amplified questions about her research integrity and position at the helm of the prestigious Ivy League institution." CNN (Lean Left bias) reported that "Gay’s previous requested corrections did not address even clearer examples of plagiarism from her earlier academic work, including her dissertation." The Washington Free Beacon (Right bias) said the allegations paint "a picture of a pattern of misconduct more extensive than has been previously reported."