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 Gaza.

Undergraduate 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 students.

The US president's son, Barron, is a student at NYU, and is enrolled at the Stern School of Business.

Arguably the university under the most pressure from the administration is America's oldest, Harvard.

Trump 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 campus.

Separately, several foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses have been detained in recent months.

The 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".