USC has canceled all commencement speakers for this year’s graduation ceremony amid controversy surrounding the revocation of the university’s valedictorian speech.
“Given the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage commencement program, university leadership has decided it is best to release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this year’s ceremony,” the University of Southern California announced on Friday.
The announcement means the cancellation of keynote speaker — filmmaker Jon M. Chu — who was expected to speak on May 10 at the main-stage ceremony, and other guests including tennis star Billie Jean King.
Around 65,000 people are expected to attend this year’s ceremony.
Friday’s announcement comes on the heels of the university canceling valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s commencement speech over what USC called “substantial” security risks.
Tabassum’s social media pages were found with links to pro-Palestinian sites, with one link that called for a one-state Palestine solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
An Instagram account with the handle @Israelwarroom shared a post on April 9 featuring Tabassum and accusing her of sharing and liking anti-Israel views on her social media profile, which they linked to antisemitism.
Tabassum defended herself and said she is not antisemitic and is only calling for a peaceful end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
On April 15, USC initially announced Tabassum’s speech cancellation saying:
“The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement. We cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence at other campuses.”
University officials further explained their decision saying:
“After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety. This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation. To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period.”
Tabassum, however, was not convinced that security concerns were the reason for her removal.
“Because I am not aware of any specific threats against me or the university, because my request for the details underlying the university’s threat assessment has been denied, and because I am not being provided any increased safety to be able to speak at commencement, there remain serious doubts about whether USC’s decision to revoke my invitation to speak is made solely on the basis of safety,” she said in a statement, released through the Los Angeles branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
USC officials said they will now be “redesigning the commencement program.”
“We’ve been talking to this exceptional group [of honorees] and hope to confer these honorary degrees at a future commencement or other academic ceremonies,” officials added.
The campus will still be hosting 38 satellite ceremonies, five celebrations, and 65 receptions, featuring dozens of students, other internal and external speakers, and performers.
“Although this should have been a time of celebration for my family, friends, professors, and classmates, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all,” Tabassum said earlier in the week.
On Thursday night, hundreds of USC students marched across campus in support of Tabassum and the right to deliver her speech.
A large protest led by nonprofit group CODEPINK is scheduled to take place on April 21 at the LA Times Festival of Books in solidarity with Tabassum and with Palestine. The festival will be held on the USC campus.