Harvard University has removed the biography of a graduate student and freshman proctor who was seen in a video confronting an Israeli student during a campus protest last week. This decision coincides with the university’s announcement of the creation of a task force aimed at providing support to student protesters whose identities were revealed after they attributed blame to Israel for the terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7.
Who is Elom Tettey-Tamaklo?
Elom Tettey-Tamaklo, a divinity school student who serves as a proctor living with undergraduate students in a supervisory capacity, no longer has his biography featured on the Dean of Students Office’s website. Tettey-Tamaklo, along with others, was recorded in a video pushing and shoving an Israeli student during a pro-Palestinian protest, as the video shows. The Israeli student was physically confronted while surrounded by attendees wearing keffiyehs who shouted “SHAME!”
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It remains uncertain whether the removal of Tettey-Tamaklo’s information was done at his request, initiated by Harvard to protect his privacy, or if he has been relieved of his proctor duties. Madeleine Currie, a resident dean of first-year students, did not respond to requests for comment, but a Harvard student with knowledge of the situation informed the Washington Free Beacon that first-year students under Tettey-Tamaklo’s supervision have not received any updates regarding his role.
While Harvard has yet to publicly address the harassment of one of its students, the university has taken a strong stance against the public disclosure of student protesters’ identities. Dean of Students Thomas Dunne referred to such disclosure as a “repugnant assault on our community.”
Dunne, who oversees the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, did not respond to inquiries about whether his task force would extend support to the students featured in the video published by the Free Beacon, or if Harvard had any intentions of taking disciplinary action against them.
Tettey-Tamaklo’s conduct during the “die-in” protest has drawn criticism from notable Harvard Business School alumni. Five graduates of the school, including Senator Mitt Romney (R., Utah) and billionaire investor Seth Klarman, issued an open letter on Monday, rebuking the university for what they perceived as a failure to protect Jewish students, with the “die-in” protest serving as evidence.
The letter expressed concerns about the public videos, particularly the recent incident of violence directed at an Israeli student on the Harvard Business School campus, which highlighted the threats and violence faced by Jewish and Israeli students from pro-Palestinian groups. It criticized the university’s leadership for not taking decisive action and raised fears of history repeating itself.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attack by Hamas on the Jewish state, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,300 Israelis, including women and children, Harvard Graduate School of Education dean Bridget Terry Long attributed blame to both “Hamas and the Israeli government.” Harvard president Claudine Gay later issued a statement expressing heartbreak over the destruction caused by the Hamas attack but failed to denounce student groups that defended Hamas.
