USC Cancels Commencement Speakers Amid Valedictorian Controversy
- School wants focus to be on graduates after campus protests
- Campuses roiled over the Israel-Hamas war, free speech limits
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The University of Southern California scrapped all outside speakers from its upcoming commencement ceremonies, following backlash over an earlier decision to cancel a speech by the Class of 2024’s valedictorian.
The announcement Friday afternoon came as protests escalated at the school’s campus in Los Angeles after school officials canceled an address by the student, Asna Tabassum, following complaints by a pro-Israel group that she had engaged in antisemitism in social media posts.