New York University announced it would withhold the diploma of a student who, during his graduation speech, made pointed remarks about the war in Gaza.
On Wednesday, NYU Gallatin’s 2025 student speaker, Logan Rozo, used his commencement speech to condemn the war in Gaza, calling it a “genocide,” and the U.S.’s support for Israel. In response, the school is withholding his diploma, saying he lied about the speech he was going to give, violating the commitment made to the university.
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“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,” NYU Spokesperson John Beckman said in a statement posted to the school’s website.
“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,” he added. “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, previously given a page for highlighted graduates, was deleted from the school’s website.
Rozos’s brief speech lasted just under two and a half minutes, with most of that time being consumed by cheers from the student crowd.
“I’ve been freaking out a lot about this speech, honestly, and as I search my heart today in addressing you all, my moral and political commitments 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,” he began, drawing cheers and applause from students.
“I want to say that the genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars, and has been live-streamed to our phones for the past 18 months,” he continued, with long pauses throughout to accommodate the cheering. “And that I do not wish to speak only to my own politics today, but to speak for all people of conscience, all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity.”
The next speaker continued proceedings without acknowledging him after he left the podium.
The speech was harshly condemned by Jewish and pro-Israel groups who demanded that the school take disciplinary action.
“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.
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As part of a settlement to a lawsuit filed by Jewish students in November, NYU changed its definition of antisemitism to include certain criticisms of Israel. Some Jewish and pro-Israel groups argued that Rozos’s comments fell within the expanded definition to constitute antisemitism.
After taking office on Jan. 20, the Trump administration has cracked down on universities’ approach to campus protests over the War in Gaza, which has brought issues of free speech and antisemitism to the forefront of national dialogue. Several major schools, such as Columbia, have caved to the administration’s demands, while others, such as Harvard, have refused. Several universities have had hundreds of millions of dollars in funds stripped over their handling of the protests.