Harvard criticized for dismissal of pro-Palestine professor

BOSTON, United States (MNTV) – Harvard University’s decision to remove pro-Palestine professor Mary T. Bassett from her role as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights has drawn criticism from more than 400 Harvard affiliates and faculty members nationwide.

The petition, which has gathered over 1,000 signatures including support from faculty at Columbia University, Brown University, and the University of Chicago, described the dismissal as “politically motivated” and called for Bassett’s reinstatement. 

Harvard’s student newspaper reported that the decision comes amid ongoing political pressure regarding work related to Israel and Palestine.

Experts noted similar dismissals earlier this year at Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Divinity School’s Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative. 

The petition argued that Bassett’s removal, particularly as a Black leader, signals that both principled human rights scholarship and Black leadership are “expendable when they challenge institutional comfort.”

The Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors warned the dismissal has “grave implications for academic freedom,” criticizing the university’s lack of transparency and its treatment of affected faculty.

The decision has sparked broader concern over political pressure on US universities amid widespread protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, leaving over 70,000 Palestinians dead as of October 2024.