Roxane Gay Calls for Release of Luigi Mangione During Harvard Panel on Healthcare

<p>Roxane Gay, a professor at Rutgers University and artist-in-residence at Harvard Medical School, called for the release of Luigi Mangione, who pleaded guilty in August to federal stalking charges resulting in death related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, during a panel discussion at Harvard on October 2, 2026. The panel focused on the intersection of fatness and healthcare.</p><p>During the discussion, when the topic shifted to the health insurance industry, Gay stated, "Free Luigi, for one," and described the health insurance industry as "equal opportunity evil," as reported by The College Fix.</p><p>Stu Smith, an investigative analyst at the Manhattan Institute, noted on X that Gay made her comments in response to a question about the health insurance industry. He also mentioned that Gay had previously admitted to using concierge medicine to address her healthcare needs.</p><p>The event, titled "Against the Pathology of Unruly Bodies," aimed to explore how medical professionals treat overweight patients and the consequences of pathologizing fat bodies.</p><p>Gay holds the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University and is currently serving as an artist-in-residence at Harvard Medical School.</p><p>Mangione faces a second-degree murder charge, several weapons charges, and a forged-instrument charge in New York state court. He pleaded guilty on August 14 to two federal stalking charges resulting in death and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on December 18, facing a maximum potential sentence of life in prison.</p><p>In a statement to Fox News Digital, Gay explained her remarks, saying, "I said Free Luigi out of utter frustration, and this is a frustration most Americans have about the health insurance industry. That industry is far more focused on profit than actually providing people with the healthcare they need, healthcare that should be covered by the health insurance we pay quite a lot of money for."</p><p>Gay further stated, "Luigi Mangione was clearly dealing with mental health issues when he committed murder. Murder is wrong, in all cases, including the death penalty. I don't think his mental health issues will be addressed in a carceral setting. He should be in a setting where he can get actual help, not in a place that might exacerbate the mental illness that drove him to commit murder."</p><p>She added, "I condemn the killing of Brian Thompson. I condemn all killing. Murder doesn't solve anything. Thompson's murder didn't improve the health insurance system. It only created a cavern of grief for his loved ones. Millions and millions of Americans feel this way. It is not a unique sentiment. I would love for the American health insurance system to evolve into a single payer system so we have universal healthcare like a significant percentage of the rest of the world."</p><p>A spokesperson for Harvard University stated that the views expressed by speakers at events do not represent Harvard Medical School or Harvard University.</p><p>Fox News Digital also reached out to Rutgers University for comment.</p>