USC Cancels Valedictorian’s Speech After Claims of Antisemitism

The University of Southern California said it has canceled plans for a graduation speech by this year’s valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, who is Muslim. The school said the decision stemmed from security concerns, after several pro-Israeli groups objected to her social media posts supporting Palestinians.

The decision drew immediate criticism from the Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as well as from Ms. Tabassum, a biomedical engineering major.

“I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the university is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice,” Ms. Tabassum wrote in a statement. She has identified herself as a first-generation American of South Asian descent.

Free-speech controversies have overwhelmed many universities since the Israel-Hamas war began. University officials have had to handle vociferous debates over pro-Palestinian student protests, which many Jewish students and alumni say often veer into antisemitism. Protesters say that the pushback is an attempt to censor their political beliefs.

The U.S.C. decision to cancel the speech was announced on Monday by Andrew T. Guzman, the provost, who said he had made the final decision to choose Ms. Tabassum.

“Over the past several days, discussion related to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor,” Dr. Guzman wrote. “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 U.S.C. and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at the commencement.”