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Fox News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
NYU pauses diploma of anti-Israel student who blasted Gaza war as 'genocide' during graduation speech
A New York University (NYU) student who slammed Israel's war in Gaza during a graduation speech has had his diploma suspended. Logan Rozos drew a sharp rebuke from the university after repeatedly referring to Israel's actions in Gaza as a "genocide" that was being perpetuated with the support of the United States. "The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars and has been livestreamed to our phones for the past 18 months," said Rozo, a graduating student from the Gallatin School liberal art program. Rozos' comments drew a loud reaction from the crowd, including applause along with a standing ovation for those who supported him, while others expressed their disapproval. As the video spread online, pro-Israel groups demanded the university take aggressive disciplinary action against Rozo. NYU spokesperson John Beckman condemned the speech and said that NYU was "deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks." Beckman said Rozos deviated from approved remarks and the university is now withholding Rozos' diploma while it pursues disciplinary actions. "He 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 Wednesday. "NYU is deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him." Rozos, a member of the Gallatin Theater Troupe, was selected by fellow students to give the program's address. Rozos is described as having a moral and political obligation to speak to the audience about the situation in Palestine. "My moral and political commitment guide me to say that 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. "I do not wish to speak only to my own politics today, but to speak for all people of conscience, and all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity." Pro-Jewish groups sharply criticized Rozos' remarks and praised NYU for acting quickly on the matter. "No student — especially Jewish students — should have to sit through politicized rhetoric that promotes harmful lies about Israel during such a personal milestone," the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement. We are thankful to the NYU administration for their strong condemnation and their pursuit of disciplinary action. Rozos majored in cultural criticism and political economy, according to an archived version of Gallatin's website. Rozos' profile is no longer available on the website. The documentary non-profit Fireflight Media describes Rozos in a profile page as an "actor, artist, and gay Black trans man" whose debut in acting was in the Peabody-nominated television drama David Makes Man in 2019. The war on Gaza sparked a wave of student protests on college campuses last year, including at NYU where demonstrations turned violent, with dozens of arrests being made. NYU is one of 10 universities being investigated by the Trump administration's antisemitism taskforce. The task force is examining how universities have handled alleged antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
NYU denies diploma to student who criticized Israel in commencement speech
New York University said it would deny a diploma to a student who used a graduation speech to condemn Israel's attacks on Palestinians and what he described as U.S. "complicity in this genocide." Logan Rozos's speech Wednesday for graduating students of NYU's Gallatin School sparked waves of condemnation from pro-Israel groups, who demanded the university take aggressive disciplinary action against him. NYU spokesperson John Beckman apologized for the speech. In a statement, he said: NYU strongly denounces the choice by a student at the Gallatin School's graduation today—one of over 20 school graduation ceremonies across our campus—to misuse his role as student speaker to express his personal and one-sided political views. He lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules. The University is withholding his diploma while we pursue disciplinary actions. NYU is deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him. Universities across the country have faced tremendous pressure to crack down on pro-Palestinian speech or risk funding cuts from President Donald Trump's administration, which has equated criticism of Israel with antisemitism. But NYU, which is attended by Trump's son, Barron, has largely avoided the president's ire so far. Rozos, an actor and member of the Gallatin Theater Troupe, was selected by fellow students to give the liberal art program's address. He said he felt a moral and political obligation to speak to the audience about what he called the atrocities in Palestine. "The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars and has been livestreamed to our phones for the past 18 months," he said. The speech drew loud cheers from the crowd, along with a standing ovation from some graduating students. But as video of the speech spread online, it was roundly denounced by pro-Israel groups, who accused NYU of creating an unsafe environment for Jewish students. "We are appalled to hear that during [New York University] graduation a student speaker altered their approved speech to make divisive and false comments about the current Israel/Hamas war. We are thankful to the NYU administration for their strong condemnation and their pursuit of disciplinary action," the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey said on social media. The group #EndJewHatred suggested the speech — which did not mention Jewish people — would meet the university's newly-expanded definition of antisemitism, which includes certain criticism of Israel. An emailed inquiry to Rozos was not returned. As pro-Palestinian rallies roiled campuses across the country last spring, the 2024 commencement season was was marked by tensions and cancellations, and strict limits on what students could say. With billions of dollars of funding at risk from the Trump administration, the stakes for universities are even higher this year, some faculty said. "They are bending over backward to crack down on speech that runs counter to what the current administration in Washington espouses," said Andrew Ross, a professor of social and cultural analysis at NYU. "Myself and many of my colleagues are frankly appalled at the decision that's being made to deny a student speaker his diploma," Ross added. "This is a very good example of an administration falling down on the job."
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYU withholds diploma from student who denounced war in Gaza during graduation speech
New York University said it is withholding the diploma of a student who condemned 'genocide' in Gaza while delivering a graduation speech Wednesday – a move the university called a violation of the student's commitment to comply with school rules. Logan Rozos told members of his graduating class that '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.' NYU 'strongly' denounced 'the choice by a student at Gallatin School's graduation,' university spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement after the Wednesday ceremony. Commencement season on US campuses comes amid the Trump administration's ongoing crackdown on students who engage in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Earlier this year, NYU was among the universities cited by the Department of Justice as having 'experienced incidents of antisemitism.' In his speech, Rozos repeatedly referred to Israel's actions in Gaza as 'genocide,' which he said was 'politically and militarily' supported by the US and 'paid for by our tax dollars.' He said his remarks are intended to 'speak for all people of conscience, all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity.' Cheers erupted from the crowd when Rozos first mentioned Gaza, and some NYU faculty sitting behind him briefly applauded. Some in the crowd could also be heard booing at times. Without naming Rozos, Beckman said the student speaker 'lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules.' 'The university is withholding his diploma while we pursue disciplinary actions,' Beckman said, adding that the school is 'deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him.' CNN reached out to Rozos and NYU for further details. Rozos' student biography was no longer on Gallatin's website as of Thursday night. CNN also reached out to the student government for comment on Rozos' speech. Rozos majored in Cultural Criticism and Political Economy and was a member of the Gallatin Theater Troupe, according to an archived version of Gallatin's website. He was selected by fellow students to give the program's commencement address, the Associated Press reported. The commencement ceremony for all of NYU was held Thursday. The Anti-Defamation League condemned what it described as 'divisive and false comments about the current Israel/Hamas war' and thanked NYU 'for their strong condemnation and their pursuit of disciplinary action,' according to a statement on X. At the same time, the Council on American-Islamic Relations defended the 'pro-Palestinian, anti-genocide commencement address' and called on NYU to release the student speaker's diploma. CAIR described the ongoing disciplinary actions against those who engage in pro-Palestinian protests as a 'betrayal to American freedoms and the American people,' according to a statement on X. Last year, students and faculty were arrested at NYU as protests were held at universities across the US. The university filed more than 180 conduct cases against students and faculty tied to demonstrations over the war in Gaza following last year's protests, according to an investigation by NYU's student newspaper, Washington Square News. Israel launched its war in Gaza following Hamas' October 2023 attack in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. According to figures provided by the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants. In January, the Israeli military said it had killed 20,000 Hamas operatives since October 7.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
NYU withholds diploma of graduate who condemned Gaza war
New York University (NYU) has withheld the diploma of a student who used his graduation speech to accuse the US of supporting "genocide" in Logan Rozos told the crowd on Wednesday that he condemned the "atrocities currently happening in Palestine", drawing cheers and some boos. An NYU spokesperson accused Mr Rozos of lying about what he had planned to say in the address in order to "express his personal and one-sided political views".Pro-Palestinian advocacy on college campuses has become heavily politicised in the US, as the Trump administration cracks down on what it has called antisemitism at elite institutions, stirring a fraught debate about free speech. NYU said it "strongly denounces" and was "deeply sorry" for Mr Rozos' remarks, adding: "This moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him."The college spokesman, John Beckman, said Mr Rozos' diploma would be withheld while NYU pursued disciplinary action against him. After being introduced on stage, the undergraduate said he had been "freaking out about this speech", but that he felt compelled to speak out. "The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and military by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars and has been live streamed to our phones," he said. "I condemn this genocide and complicity in this genocide," Mr Rozos added in remarks that lasted about two-and-a-half minutes. He did not specifically mention Israel, which emphatically denies accusations of genocide in Gaza, or Jewish people.A since-deleted profile of Mr Rozos on NYU's website indicated he studied cultural criticism and political economy at a small liberal arts school within the campus. In another online profile, Mr Rozos is described as an "actor, artist, and gay Black trans man". NYU is one of 10 universities being investigated by Trump's antisemitism taskforce for incidents on campus since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023. NYU was not, however, among 60 universities sent letters by the Department of Education warning of "enforcement action" if it did not protect Jewish US president's son, Barron, is a student at NYU, and is enrolled at the Stern School of the university under the most pressure from the administration is America's oldest, has cut more than $2.6bn (£2bn) in funding, a decision that the university argues will hamper critical disease research. Harvard has filed a lawsuit claiming the action is unlawful. It has also rejected a list of demands that the Trump administration said was designed to curb alleged discrimination at the several foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses have been detained in recent Trump administration alleges they have expressed support for Hamas, which the US, EU and UK designates as a terrorist group, and called for their deportation. Lawyers for the students say they are exercising their right to free speech, accusing the government of "open repression of student activism and political speech".
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
He Denounced the Gaza War at Graduation. N.Y.U. Withheld His Diploma.
New York University is withholding the diploma of a graduation speaker who delivered an unapproved speech on Wednesday that referred to what he called 'the atrocities currently happening in Palestine.' The move by N.Y.U. to discipline the student speaker, Logan Rozos, is the latest flashpoint between free speech principles and discipline for pro-Palestinian advocacy on American college campuses. It comes as universities across the country brace this commencement season for pro-Palestinian speeches and displays from students and for the anger that pro-Israel voices often express in response. John Beckman, an N.Y.U. spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday that the university 'strongly denounces' Mr. Rozos' decision to express 'his personal and one-sided political views.' The student 'lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules,' Mr. Beckman said, adding that the university would withhold his diploma as it pursues disciplinary actions against him. That means that Mr. Rozos would not officially be considered graduated until the matter is resolved. 'N.Y.U. is deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him,' Mr. Beckman added. Mr. Rozos, 24, was not immediately available for comment. Pro-Palestinian activism has diminished on campuses this academic year, in part because of stricter enforcement of disciplinary rules. N.Y.U. has been especially forceful in confronting such activism, including by barring more than two dozen law students from entering some university buildings after they held a sit-in outside of President Linda Mills's office in March, the student newspaper reported. Mr. Rozos' speech took place at the graduation ceremony of the Gallatin School, a small liberal arts school within the university. N.Y.U.'s universitywide commencement ceremony was held Thursday at Yankee Stadium. His roughly two-and-a-half minute speech included four sentences that referred to the bloodshed in Gaza. Video of the event showed that he appeared nervous as he began his remarks, saying he had 'been freaking out a lot about this speech, honestly.' '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,' he began. A huge cheer erupted from the audience of hundreds at the graduation, held at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan. He continued by charging that 'the genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars and has been livestreamed to our phones for the last 18 months.' He added that he hoped to speak for 'all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity.' Shouts that seemed to oppose the speech erupted as Mr. Rozos was concluding, as he condemned 'this genocide and complicity in this genocide.' Following his remarks, pro-Palestinian voices on social media praised the speech, while pro-Israel voices condemned it. 'We commend Logan for using this opportunity to demand an end to the bloodshed in Gaza,' said Afaf Nasher, executive director of CAIR-NY, a Muslim civil rights organization. 'We demand that N.Y.U. formally release Logan's diploma, which he rightfully earned, and suspend any disciplinary proceedings against him.' Scott Richman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization focused on antisemitism, said the A.D.L. was 'appalled' by the speech. 'We are thankful to the N.Y.U. administration for their strong condemnation and their pursuit of disciplinary action,' he said. Mr. Rozos identifies himself in professional biographies as 'an actor, artist, and gay Black trans man" as well as an advocate for L.G.B.T.Q. people. He made his acting debut in 'David Makes Man,' a 2019 television series.
