By Eva Rothenberg | CNN
Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay said Tuesday she is stepping down from her post.
“It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to share that I will be stepping down as president,” Gay wrote in a letter to the Harvard community. “After consultation with members of the Corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interests of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than any individual.”
A spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Gay’s term as president of the prestigious university lasted just over six months. She was undone in part by her responses at a congressional hearing last month, as well as an ongoing plagiarism scandal.
At the House hearing, Gay was criticized for a lack of direct answer about policies and procedures to combat bullying and harassment of Jewish students.
Alan M. Garber, who currently serves as provost and chief academic officer at Harvard, will step in as interim president until the school finds a new leader, the Harvard Corporation announced in a letter on Tuesday.
The Corporation said the search for a new president would “begin in due course,” but did not specify an exact timeline.
Gay said in her letter she would return to a faculty position “and to the scholarship and teaching that are the lifeblood of what we do.”
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.