From fortune:

Bill Ackman, a billionaire investor, has shifted his focus from Harvard to MIT in his campaign against American universities’ response to the Israel-Hamas war. This comes after Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, stepped down amid controversy over her testimony on antisemitic hate speech. Ackman has accused leadership at elite universities of tolerating hate speech against Jews.

Liz Magill, the head of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned following criticism for failing to address antisemitic hate speech on campus. Harvard president Claudine Gay survived the initial backlash from Ackman, but controversy over alleged academic fraud led to her resignation. Ackman has blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for the universities’ testimony to Congress and believes the movement is inconsistent with American values.

MIT president Sally Kornbluth, who is Jewish, has resisted calls to resign. Mark P. Gorenberg, chair of the MIT Corporation, expressed unequivocal support for Kornbluth, praising her work in addressing antisemitism and other forms of hate. Ackman believes DEI has co-opted diversity and is pursuing an anti-meritocratic political agenda, leading to protests against the Israel-Hamas war on campuses.

Ackman’s criticism of DEI has sparked debate, with some arguing the controversy is a tactic to silence criticism of Israel and deflect attention from Gaza’s mounting death toll. Despite this, Ackman continues to push for change in leadership at elite universities, citing concerns about DEI’s impact on American values and racial divisiveness.



Read more: Bill Ackman shifts aim to MIT head Sally Kornbluth—and DEI