Harvard alumnus Shabbos Kestenbaum criticized Harvard’s DEI policies, saying they have displaced meritocratic standards and risk demoralizing students. His comments echo former Harvard professor James Hankins, who left after 40 years and wrote that a surge of "wokeness" and strict COVID rules contributed to his decision. Both men claim DEI priorities have reshaped hiring, admissions and the study of Western civilization. Harvard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Harvard Alumnus Slams DEI Policies After Veteran Professor’s Exit, Warns Of Cultural Costs
Banners hanging from Memorial Church on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
Harvard alumnus Shabbos Kestenbaum on Thursday sharply criticized Harvard University’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, echoing a former professor’s public rebuke that culminated in his departure after four decades on the faculty.
Kestenbaum told Fox News that Harvard’s embrace of DEI has, in his view, displaced merit-based standards with ideological priorities. "It's shocking, but it's certainly not surprising," he said, arguing that such changes risk demoralizing young people and eroding confidence in national institutions.
The Harvard University coat of arms (Ve Ri Tas) is displayed on the front of the Harvard Business School building in Boston, Massachusetts.
Background: A Professor's Exit
His comments reflect concerns raised by James Hankins, a longtime Harvard scholar who wrote an essay for Compact Magazine explaining his decision to leave the university after 40 years. Hankins said he departed in 2021 amid what he described as a surge of "wokeness" and stringent COVID-19 restrictions, and that he honored a four-year retirement contract that recently expired.
Claims and Concerns
Both Hankins and Kestenbaum contend that DEI priorities have reshaped hiring and admissions practices and have marginalized the study of Western civilization. Kestenbaum warned that when students are taught to view their culture or history as unworthy, many—especially young men—may become disillusioned and disengaged from society.
In this undated photo, protesters in Michigan rally against President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies, denouncing federal rollbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
"When you have cultural elites or professors who instruct young people that their culture is not worthy of preservation... those young people, particularly young men, will become disillusioned and disassociated with the society they're meant to be interacting with," Kestenbaum said on "Fox & Friends."
Kestenbaum also alleged that some higher-education institutions promote "anti-White discrimination, anti-Asian discrimination, and anti-American narratives," calling such tendencies an "open secret for decades."
Response
Harvard did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The article noted a contribution from Fox News reporter Peter D'Abrosca.
Context: The exchange comes amid broader national debates over how universities balance diversity initiatives with traditional academic standards and curricular priorities.
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