New York University (NYU) has withheld the diploma of graduating student Logan Rozos after he used his commencement speech to condemn US support for what he described as “genocide” in Gaza.
Rozos, an undergraduate from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, addressed fellow graduates on Wednesday, stating: “The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars and has been livestreamed to our phones.”
His remarks drew both applause and boos from the audience.
NYU issued a swift rebuke, accusing Rozos of misrepresenting the contents of his planned speech.
University spokesperson John Beckman said Rozos “abused a privilege” and violated school rules.
As a result, the university is withholding his diploma pending disciplinary action.
In its statement, NYU said it “strongly denounces” the speech, expressing regret and claiming that the moment was used to deliver “one-sided political views”.
Rozos did not explicitly mention Israel or Jewish people, but his criticism comes amid heightened tension on US campuses over pro-Palestinian activism.
NYU is one of 10 universities under review by the Trump administration's antisemitism taskforce, although it has not received enforcement warnings.
Last year, NYU updated its conduct policy to include certain anti-Zionist expressions as potential violations of anti-discrimination rules, citing concerns over rising campus tensions.
Rozos has not publicly responded, and his online student profile was removed following the incident.
The episode adds to the broader debate around free speech, campus activism, and the limits of political expression at US universities during the ongoing Gaza genocide.
This event comes following more than 100 Palestinians killed early Friday in a series of intense Israeli military attacks across northern Gaza, according to medical sources cited by Anadolu.
Health officials described the assaults as “horrific massacres,” saying they were aimed at densely populated civilian areas.
Among the casualties were medics, as an ambulance was reportedly struck in the town of Jabalia—part of a pattern of repeated attacks on healthcare personnel and facilities.
Israel’s invasion on Gaza has continued relentlessly since October 7, 2023, with more than 53,000 Palestinians killed, the majority of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its conduct in the conflict.
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