Harvard Cuts Ties with Librarian After Hostage Poster Incident During Rally

Harvard Cuts Ties with Librarian After Hostage Poster Incident During Rally

Harvard University has severed ties with librarian Jonathan S. Tuttle following his involvement in a controversial incident where he allegedly tore down a poster depicting Israeli hostages. This event occurred during an anti-Israel rally held last week.

According to a report from the Harvard Crimson, Tuttle had been working as a cataloger for the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe Institute prior to this incident. Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton confirmed on Sunday that the individual who participated in the protest is no longer affiliated with the university.

On March 3 during the Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine rally, Tuttle was allegedly filmed ripping down posters that honored the Bibas children, who were tragically killed after being kidnapped by Hamas. These hostages’ remains were returned by Hamas in February, heightening the emotional weight of the incident.

Harvard Chabad, the university’s Jewish student organization, quickly shared video evidence of Tuttle’s actions on their Instagram account, identifying him as an employee of the library. However, university guidelines on doxxing prevented them from displaying his face and name, even though he was clearly wearing his ID badge at the time.

University Investigation and Response

In light of the incident, Harvard has launched an investigation. Sherri A. Charleston, the chief diversity and inclusion officer, sent an email to university affiliates confirming that the protester was indeed a university employee. The Harvard Crimson reported on Wednesday that Charleston characterized the removal of the posters as a violation of university rules regarding the use of campus spaces.

The university’s guidelines, released in August 2024, explicitly state that tampering with or removing approved displays is prohibited. Charleston described Tuttle’s actions as