USC Graduation Plans Devolve Into Chaos After Student Speech — And More — Axed From Program

 Less than one week after canceling the student valedictorian’s planned commencement speech, the administration at University of Southern California (USC) announced that they would also be rescinding invitations to all outside speakers who were scheduled to be a part of the ceremonies.

The initial announcement was made via an April 15th letter posted by the Office of the Provost on the school’s website, which said that student valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speech was being canceled in the interest of public safety.

Noting that the commencement ceremonies were likely to draw a crowd of more than 60,000, Provost Andrew Guzman raised concerns about law enforcement’s ability to keep everyone safe if tensions were to be inflamed.

“Over the past several days, discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor. 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,” Guzman wrote, noting that evaluation of social media had not been a part of the initial selection process.

Protests erupted on campus demanding that the school allow her to speak, and within days, a follow-up announcement stated that all outside speakers — including alumnus and “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu and tennis legend Billie Jean King — would also be removed from the program.

A Friday memo, according to ABC News, explained the decision: “To keep the focus on our graduates, we are redesigning the commencement program. 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.”