New York University (NYU) is withholding the diploma of a student who used his graduation speech to speak about the Israel-Hamas war, despite not getting approval for that topic.
The student, Logan Rozos, gave his speech during a commencement ceremony at the Gallatin School, one of more than 20 graduation events held by NYU. In his speech, he criticized what he called the “atrocities currently happening in Palestine.”
University Quickly Responds
NYU released a strong statement shortly after the event, saying Rozos had misled the university about what he planned to say and broke the agreement he had made to follow university guidelines.
“He misused his position as a student speaker to share personal, one-sided political opinions,” the university said.
“We are withholding his diploma while we carry out disciplinary actions.”
Key Points from the Speech
Rozos told his classmates that although he had been nervous about the speech, he felt it was important to speak from his moral and political beliefs.
“The only thing that feels right to say to a group this big is to acknowledge the suffering in Palestine,” Rozos said.
He also accused the United States of supporting what he called a genocide, saying it was funded by taxpayer money and visible to the world through social media.
His comments received a mixed response—some students could be seen clapping and cheering during the livestreamed ceremony.
Backlash from ADL and NYU
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) strongly criticized the speech. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the group said it was “appalled” and thanked NYU for taking action.
NYU said it regrets that Rozos “abused the privilege” of being a speaker and “stole a moment” from the graduating class. The university also apologized to the audience for being subjected to remarks that weren’t approved.
