"She thought it was the best action to take at the moment," he said.
Malhotra said the allegations had come as a surprise to HIR staff members and described Serbanescu as a "hard-working and loyal staff member."
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Serbanescu also resigned from the Book Review on Sunday after meeting with editors last week to discuss her status.
The Book Review is not planning an investigation into her writings at this time, said Book Review Publisher Antoinette C. Nwandu, who is also a Crimson executive.
Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 declined to say whether Serbanescu might face Administrative Board action for the plagiarism.
-Staff writer Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@fas.harvard.edu.