Harvard's BOARD now facing investigation over Claudine Gay scandal: Republicans vow to find out if members covered up that $900,000-a-year former president was plagiarist

Harvard's board members will be scrutinized as part of a Congress investigation into the ivy league school amid the fallout over the Claudine Gay scandal. 

Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik, who is part of the committee leading the probe, has accused the 12-member board of attempted 'bullying and censorship' of the press and called for their 'immediate firing'. 

Her comments confirm that the top university's executive board, known as the Harvard Corporation, will be inspected as part of the probe. 

Stefanik grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn about antisemitism last month, and led calls for Gay to resign based on her refusal to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment. 

The House probe will also look at a litany of allegations of plagiarism against Gay, which span 24 years. 

Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik, who is part of the committee leading the probe, has accused the 12-member board of attempted 'bullying and censorship' of the press and called for their 'immediate firing' 

Stefanik's comments confirm that the top university's executive board, known as the Harvard Corporation, will be inspected as part of the probe. The board is led by Penny Pritzker (pictured in Washington DC in April 2023)

Gay, who took the reigns at Harvard on July 1, faced intense scrutiny since the October 7 terror attack in Israel following her failure to immediately condemn students who justified Hamas' actions 

'Harvard University and the Harvard Corporation used every avenue available to cover up Claudine Gay's failures, threatening the New York Post following their investigation and coverage of Claudine Gay's serial plagiarist past and failed leadership,' Stefanik said. 

'These attempts at bullying and censorship by the Harvard Corporation are unacceptable and should result in the immediate firing of the board members involved. 

'This is a reckoning; Claudine Gay's long overdue forced resignation is just the beginning of exposing the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.'

The New York Congresswoman added that the House Committee on Education and the Workforce will 'use every tool available including subpoena power' to investigate Harvard's 'coverup'.

Blasting 'Claudine Gay's career of plagiarism', Stefanik said they would probe 'attempts to silence media seeking the truth' and 'the rot of antisemitism plaguing our nation's colleges and universities'. 

DailyMail.com has approached the Harvard Corporation for comment.  

Gay, 53, resigned as the President of Harvard University in a letter to colleagues and students on January 2.

She stepped down from her role 28 days after her shocking response at a congressional testimony about campus anti-Semitism which prompted the Congressional probe. 

Gay refused to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment or admit that Jewish students had a right not to feel unsafe at Ivy League schools, in response to a questioned posed by Stefanik.  

Gay, 53, resigned as the President of Harvard University in a letter on January 2 

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx announced the formal investigation into Harvard, along with UPenn and MIT, on December 7. 

Blasting the schools' presidents in the announcement, she said: 'The testimony we received earlier this week from Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth about the responses of Harvard, UPenn, and MIT to the rampant antisemitism displayed on their campuses by students and faculty was absolutely unacceptable.

'Committee members have deep concerns with their leadership and their failure to take steps to provide Jewish students the safe learning environment they are due under law.

'Given those institutional and personal failures, the Committee is opening a formal investigation into the learning environments at Harvard, UPenn, and MIT and their policies and disciplinary procedures. 

'This investigation will include substantial document requests, and the Committee will not hesitate to utilize compulsory measures including subpoenas if a full response is not immediately forthcoming.

'The disgusting targeting and harassment of Jewish students is not limited to these institutions, and other universities should expect investigations as well, as their litany of similar failures has not gone unnoticed.'

Along with the December 5 testimony, Gay has also been accused of mounting claims of plagiarism - but said she had been the victim of racist threats.

'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,' she said in her resignation letter.

Stefanik took center stage last month when she ceremoniously grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn on antisemitism on their campuses

Gay was president of the Ivy League University for just six months, and in her written farewell, she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure 

Gay was president of the Ivy League University for just six months, and in her written farewell, she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure.

She will be replaced by Alan M. Garber, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, who sat behind her at the infamous December 5 hearing, nodding as she made her remarks.

In the letter, she said it was with a 'heavy heart' that she was standing down, but confirmed she would retain some kind of role at the school.

'I believe we have within us all that we need to heal from this period of tension and division and to emerge stronger.

'I had hoped with all my heart to lead us on that journey, in partnership with all of you.

'As I now return to the faculty, and to the scholarship and teaching that are the lifeblood of what we do, I pledge to continue working alongside you to build the community we all deserve,' she said.

Gay will remain a member of the university staff and return to a teaching role at the department of political science, and keep a similar salary.

She will retain a salary of around $900,000-a-year from the university, despite being forced to resign amid a plagiarism scandal.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee holding banners outside the prestigious college 

The Palestine Solidarity Committee holding banners outside the prestigious college 

The daughter of Haitian immigrants, became the first the black person to lead the university when she took over as president on July 1.

As she was dealing with criticism of her Congressional testimony, conservative activist Christopher Rufo published accusations that she had plagiarized portions of her 1997 doctoral thesis.

The Washington Free Beacon then published their own investigation into Gay's work, but on December 12, the Harvard Corporation announced she had been investigated and cleared.

Some noted the speed of the investigation: most take six to 12 months, but Gay was cleared in a matter of weeks.

The Corporation said some of her academic work would be 'corrected', but her job was secure.

Yet the accusations of plagiarism kept coming, and students began to complain that they would be punished for similar violations.