Harvard College Extends Task Force for Doxxed Students to End of November

Harvard College’s Dean of Students Office will extend its task force for doxxed students to Nov. 30, according to a Nov. 3 email obtained by The Crimson.

The task force was announced on Oct. 24 with plans to reevaluate its efforts on Nov. 3. It was originally established under the DSO to support students experiencing doxxing and other forms of online harassment due to their alleged affiliation with a statement that held Israel “entirely responsible” for violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Our current plan is to keep the task force in place and the email address active through the month of November,” reads the Nov. 3 email, co-signed by Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education Meghan Lockwood and Dudley Community Interim Resident Dean Christopher M. Gilbert.

“After November 30, if you encounter any concerns related to doxxing and online harassment, please reach out to your resident dean, who will refer you to appropriate resources,” it continues.

The email also referenced invitations to DeleteMe — an online service for removing personal information from the internet — and offered students free access to a license upon request.

Since the controversial Oct. 8 statement, students have faced doxxing attacks posted to numerous websites and social media, including the listing of full names, class years, past employment, social media profiles, photos, and hometowns.

A billboard truck also circled campus, displaying group members’ names and faces and describing them as “Harvard’s Leading Antisemites.”

The doxxing was harshly criticized by top Harvard administrators, including Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana, who called the attacks “deplorable and despicable” in an interview earlier this month.

Before the task force was established, students also circulated a guide for those experiencing doxxing and harassment. The document, which was born out of conversations with Harvard administrators, offered guidance for interacting with the media and changing online visibility settings.

“We are truly grateful for all the tremendous work that students have put forth in supporting each other through this most difficult time, and we appreciate the collaborative spirit in which students, faculty, and staff have come together to repel this repugnant assault on our community,” Dean of Students Thomas Dunne wrote in his Oct. 24 email to doxxed students.

—Staff writer J. Sellers Hill can be reached at sellers.hill@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @SellersHill.

—Staff writer Nia L. Orakwue can be reached at nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @nia_orakwue.