More than 400 Harvard affiliates have criticised the American university for its decision to remove pro-Palestine professor Mary T. Bassett from her role as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Centre for Health and Human Rights.
WASHINGTON — Harvard’s public health school has replaced a director at a centre focused on human rights, that had been targeted by the Trump administration as part of a broader crackdown following anti-genocide campus protests aimed at pressuring the university over allegations of antisemitism. The move has been slammed as “a chilling message that critical scholarship on racial justice and Palestine is unwelcome.”
Mary T. Bassett will leave her role as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, or FXB Center, which she has led for seven years.
Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, made the announcement in a note to the school community on Tuesday, according to reports.
The FXB Center was cited last spring in a report by Harvard’s task force on antisemitism for allegedly focusing “heavily on Palestinians” in course offerings and guest lectures.
Dr Baccarelli’s note praised FXB’s “high-impact work” under Dr Bassett, but did not explain the change in directors. The change in leadership has led to criticism by some on campus, including a petition to reinstate Dr Bassett.
The FXB Center’s work currently focuses on human rights and the health impacts of social and political problems, including migration and Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The center became part of the Trump administration’s focus on Harvard early this year, as government officials targeted the school over claims that it had not done enough to combat antisemitism on its campus.
In a letter to Harvard in April, the Trump administration demanded that the university hire an outside expert to audit the FXB Center for signs of antisemitism, along with other centers and programs.
The change in leadership at FXB, first reported by The Harvard Crimson, has drawn significant opposition.
By Friday, more than 1,500 people had signed the petition calling for Dr Bassett’s reinstatement. The petition stated that her removal “sends a chilling message that critical scholarship on racial justice and Palestine is unwelcome.”
The executive committee of Harvard’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors said Dr Bassett’s removal “continues a pattern at Harvard with grave implications for academic freedom.” It pointed to the removal of leaders at the Center for Middle East Studies in March, as well as other recent changes “demanded by outside critics.”
More than 400 Harvard affiliates have criticised the American university for its decision to remove pro-Palestine professor Mary T. Bassett from her role as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights.
The petition, which has garnered over 1,000 signatures, including support from public health and medical faculty at Columbia University, Brown University, and the University of Chicago, condemns Harvard’s recent decision as “politically motivated” and calls for Bassett’s reinstatement, according to the Harvard Crimson.
This decision comes amid ongoing political pressure regarding the center’s work related to Israel and Palestine, as reported by Harvard’s student newspaper.
The signatories stated, “This targeted dismissal follows a series of politically motivated terminations of leaders at Harvard’s scholarly centers that address Palestine.”
Dr Bassett will remain a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, according to Dr Baccarelli.
Tensions have been rising for months between elite universities and the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to “reclaim” institutions he claims are dominated by “radical ideology” after it allowed anti-genocide protests on campus.
The administration framed its actions as part of a push against antisemitism following nationwide protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
In April, the administration sent Harvard a list of demands. It called for audits of professors, reports on international students accused of misconduct, and the appointment of an outside official to oversee “viewpoint diversity” across departments.
Harvard has rejected those demands, and sued the administration, calling its actions “retaliatory” and “unlawful”. The Trump administration has frozen some $2.5bn in federal grant money to Harvard, moved to block it from enrolling international students and threatened to remove its tax-exempt status.
In response to the allegations, Harvard said that it had taken “substantive, proactive steps” to combat anti-Semitism on campus, and had made “significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias”.
“We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognise that this work is ongoing,” it said, adding that it remains “committed to ensuring members of our Jewish and Israeli community are embraced, respected, and can thrive at Harvard”.
The Trump administration has also gone after top colleges, including Columbia, Cornell and Northwestern. The universities have, meanwhile, said that the Trump administration’s actions threaten academic freedom and free speech, as well as critical scientific research. — QNN (Inputs added)
