Ackman Eases Plagiarism Stance Amid Wife’s Record Controversy
- Ackman, the individual who led the campaign against Claudine Gay, former Harvard President, over plagiarism allegations, has noted that it’s nearly certain that authors will occasionally forget to properly cite or attribute their sources. Despite having previously called Gay’s actions a “scandal,” Ackman’s stance on plagiarism appears to have softened. He suggests that some plagiarism may stem from laziness, which while inexcusable, is not a crime.
- Gay was accused of plagiarism in multiple academic articles, including her political science dissertation. Despite Harvard initially clearing Gay of research misconduct, the university later discovered two additional instances of plagiarized content. Gay admitted to citation errors and requested corrections to her writings. Ackman’s wife, Oxman, a former tenured MIT professor, has also faced accusations of plagiarism, for which she has admitted fault and apologized.
- Ackman’s pursuit to have Gay removed from her position at Harvard began before the plagiarism accusations, following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Ackman expressed concerns about antisemitism on campus and called for disciplinary action against involved students. The conflict escalated after a congressional hearing where Gay, along with other university leaders, discussed their handling of antisemitic harassment reports. Ackman argued that Gay’s responses during the hearing were an “ethical failure” warranting her resignation.
Ackman, the leading figure in demanding Claudine Gay’s resignation as Harvard president due to plagiarism allegations, stated on X that it’s common for writers to miss a few citation requirements in their work.
“Author laziness sometimes leads to plagiarism,” Ackman said. “Although not commendable, it reflects the author’s competence and motivation rather than being a crime. In a corporate setting, such employees would be terminated, but it’s difficult to do so in academia due to the tenure system.”
His views on plagiarism are a departure from his earlier comments, where he described plagiarism allegations against Gay as “a scandal and a stain on Harvard’s reputation.”
Similar Plagiarism Accusations Against Claudine Gay and Neri Oxman
Claudine Gay was accused of plagiarizing sections of multiple academic papers, including her dissertation. Despite these allegations, Harvard cleared Gay of “research misconduct” in December, before uncovering two additional instances of “duplicative language without appropriate attribution.” Gay admitted to citation errors but insisted she didn’t misrepresent her research.
Neri Oxman, Ackman’s wife, faces similar plagiarism allegations. She admitted to the plagiarism, apologized, and committed to reviewing her work for proper sourcing.
Ackman’s Dispute with Gay
Ackman’s conflict with Gay started prior to the plagiarism accusations, with his critique of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus. His concerns heightened after Gay made a controversial remark about a “genocide of Jews” in a congressional hearing.
Ackman called this an “ethical failure,” and demanded the resignation of Gay and other university presidents who echoed her sentiments. University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill, who also testified at the hearing, has since resigned.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth, testified that she wasn’t aware of any calls for Jewish genocide on her campus, sparking outrage. Despite Ackman’s ousting campaign, Kornbluth remains in her position.
Following Gay’s resignation, Ackman hinted at Kornbluth’s possible ouster, posting on X: “Et tu Sally?”
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