Harvard changes course, offers fellowship to rights activist

By MICHAEL CASEY
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Harvard University has announced it plans to offer a fellowship to a leading human rights activist after its initial denial sparked widespread criticism. Kenneth Roth was the executive director of Human Rights Watch until last year. Also last year, he was recruited by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy to become a fellow. Roth accepted but says the center called him a few weeks later, in July, and told him that school dean Douglas Elmendorf had not approved it. In a statement Thursday, Elmendorf said he “made an error in his decision” and would now offer Roth the fellowship.