The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Harvard Divinity School organized an event titled “Gathering to Breathe and Heal” on Thursday, aimed at supporting students in mourning the departure of ex-President Claudine Gay.

“For this gathering, we will create a space for us to discuss and process the departure of our former president, Claudine Gay,” the office wrote in a newsletter announcing the event, obtained by The Daily Wire. The event was intended to give participants the opportunity to “gather to breathe and to heal.”

Last month, Claudine Gay had to step down from her role due to emerging allegations of plagiarism in her scholarly work, compounded by significant criticism over her handling of increasing antisemitic incidents on campus.

According to the newsletter, a sense of grief is prevalent among students as they return to campus.

“This grief and loss may be connected to our personal lives; national and global unrest, harm, and violence; storms and natural disasters; or these increasing times of tension and divide on our campus and in our communities,” it read. “For many of us, this grief and loss also includes the resignation of former President Claudine Gay after her short tenure.”

“This is not a space for debate; rather, it is a container for holding emotions in community knowing that the circle holds us all,” it continued.

Melissa Wood Bartholomew, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, along with Steph Gauchel, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, led the facilitation of the event.

The office declared its unwavering dedication to addressing the current campus challenges with a commitment to "a restorative justice approach rooted in indigeneity and operationalized through love."