15 Comments
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
MarkS's avatar

Harvard wouldn't fire a white man in the same circumstances. It's very VERY difficult to fire a tenured professor, because of the tenure rules universities themselves have set up; an accusation of "plagiarism" (which does not have a precise definition) is very unlikely to be an egregious enough misconduct to justify a firing (under the rules). It would end up in court, and Gay would be very likely to win, as a matter of contract law, in front of even the most conservative judge.

Expand full comment
Alexander Scipio's avatar

The only reason Harvard wouldn’t fire a white man in the same position is because they’d never hire a white man so unaccomplished, mediocre and dishonest.

Expand full comment
JWSPOONERMD's avatar

I disagree. Yes, it would be difficult to terminate Gay because of the political ramifications regarding a black woman professor. But it would not be impossible. If the granting of tenure was based on the “misconduct” associated with plagiarism of research writing by Gay that ultimately led to her gaining tenure an honorable institution would terminate the plagiarist. She “stole” the intellectual product of others such as Professor Carol Swain. Is this a parallel to the idea of “stolen valor”.

Expand full comment
A. S. MAC's avatar

Excellent point. Stolen valor... well said.

Expand full comment
MarkS's avatar

The quality of the evidence is not good. The plagiarism standards are too amorphous. A decent team of lawyers would rip up Harvard on this, and Gay would win.

Expand full comment
Alexander Scipio's avatar

If Harvard was what it pretends to be, it would go after dishonesty as hard as possible.

Expand full comment
MarkS's avatar

Sure, but the current plagiarism rules do not make a lot of sense, IMO. This is why there are people defending Gay (including people she allegedly plagiarized from). The whole thing is a mess.

Expand full comment
John Murphy's avatar

Havard is a major mess.

Expand full comment
Richard Fahrner's avatar

Sir

where would that team of decent lawyers come from? I presume Gay would not enlist Harvard Law on her behalf, today.

She is dirty as well as the school is. Harvard needs to sweep clean its recent history and beg for forgiveness by opening all schools within Harvard, for public scrutiny and comment.

Black or White, Gay is a fraud.

rich

Expand full comment
MarkS's avatar

"where would that team of decent lawyers come from?"

LOL, it's pretty easy to find woke lawyers! What do you think the law schools have been churning out? There are hundreds if not thousands who would take her case pro bono, just for the publicity. And don't make the mistake of thinking that because they are woke, that they are not good at their job of getting the results that they want. They are VERY good, that's how the woke took over in the first place!

Expand full comment
JWSPOONERMD's avatar

I still disagree. Harvard has a reputation that is already tarnished by Gay’s behavior; keeping up their defense of her will only make it worse. Reputation once lost is very hard to regain, and Harvard’s graduates and financial supporters or future employers still have a say.

Expand full comment
Victor Erimita's avatar

Besides, they’d probably have to fire half their faculty if they really cared about plagiarism.

Expand full comment
A. S. MAC's avatar

That is really disgusting. Plagiarism in academia should be the absolute NO NO. She should be fired or reduced to minimum. Less students signing up for her courses. Reducing her ability to be the prof for key degree courses would also help.

Expand full comment
NewScott's avatar

She resigned

Expand full comment
david's avatar

As president. She is still a faculty member.

Expand full comment