NYU withholds diploma of student who used to commencement speech to address Israel-Hamas war

NYU said it is withholding the diploma of a student who delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address what he called the "atrocities currently happening in Palestine" during the Israel-Hamas war.

New York University said it is withholding the diploma of a student who delivered an unapproved commencement speech to address what he called the "atrocities currently happening in Palestine" during the Israel-Hamas war.

The prestigious private university quickly condemned the speech delivered by student Logan Rozos on Wednesday.

"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," the school said in a statement Wednesday.

Rozos told members of his graduating class that he had been "freaking out a lot" about his speech, but his "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."

The ceremony was livestreamed on the school's website, but a recording of it is not yet available. Videos of Rozos' speech were posted online.