from harvard faculty and one of those who signed that letter, harvard university law professor randall kennedyw. professor, thank you for being here this evening. i want to read part of this letter for everyone to understand as well. in it you say, "we, the undersigned faculty, urge you in the strongest possible terms to defend the independence of the university and to resist political pressures that are at odds with harvard's commitment to academic freedom, including calls for the removal of president claudine gay." i'm wondering do you agree with the criticism she received or what she had to say? >> no, i don't agree. i think that president gay is being targeted. she's the obvious target of a smear. the politicians who called her and the other presidents to the house of representatives had made it clear that they had already determined that there was an anti-semitism problem at these universities. they weren't exploring this. they had already determined in their own minds that there was a problem and that they were going to rake these presidents over the coals and try to embarrass and intimi

one of those professor randall kennedy, spoke to cnn last night about why he says gay should stay. >>nk that president gay is being -- is being targeted. she's the obvious target of a smear. the politicians who called her and the other presidents to the house of representatives had made it clear that they had already determined that there was an anti-semitism problem at these universities. they weren't exploring this. >> reporter: now, we also have been speaking to a number of students here on campus within the past 48 hours or so. many of them who have said that while gay's comments were hurtful, while they were insensitive, they were very critical of her, even some of those students, phil, said they still felt as though gay should keep her position and were really offended that there were outside sources, outside influences trying to force her out. so again, harvard's governing board expected to announce later today, or according to the harvard crimson later this morning, that claudine gay will in fact, keep her position here at harvard. >> jason carol, thank you. >>> ahead for us,