NEW YORK: New York University has withheld the diploma of a graduating senior who used his commencement address to denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza and US complicity, a move that has sparked a wider debate over free speech on campus.
Logan Rozos, chosen by classmates to deliver the student address at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualised Study, described Israel’s assault on Gaza as “genocide” and condemned American military and financial support during the school’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday.
“As I search my heart today in addressing you all…the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine,” Rozos said in his speech, which was met with cheers and applause from many in the audience — and even some faculty members on stage.
Rozos, who studied Cultural Criticism and Political Economy, asserted that the violence in Gaza is “politically and militarily supported by the United States and paid for by our tax dollars.”
But the university administration swiftly condemned the speech. NYU spokesperson John Beckman said Rozos had misrepresented the contents of his address and broken an agreement with the university to comply with speech guidelines.
“The student speaker lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules,” Beckman said in a statement. “The university is withholding his diploma while we pursue disciplinary actions.”
Beckman also expressed regret that the graduation was “hijacked” by what he called a “political diatribe,” and said NYU was “deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks.”
Rozos has not commented publicly, but student supporters note that his selection to speak was part of a long-standing Gallatin tradition that empowers students to express themselves freely at commencement.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions across U.S. campuses over the Israel-Palestine conflict. NYU has been at the center of this national discourse — in 2024, the university reportedly initiated over 180 conduct cases related to pro-Palestinian protests, and arrests were made during demonstrations.
Reactions to the latest controversy have been deeply polarised.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned Rozos’ comments as “divisive and false,” while praising NYU for its disciplinary action.
On the other hand, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) defended Rozos, calling the speech a “pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide commencement address,” and demanded NYU immediately release his diploma.
“Punishing students for standing against genocide is a betrayal to American freedoms and the American people,” CAIR said in a statement.
As debate intensifies, NYU’s decision is now being viewed by many as a litmus test for the boundaries of free speech in academic institutions during a time of global crisis.
