Re: California valedictorian will no longer give graduation speech over 'alarming' discussion

On 4/17/2024 6:42 PM, Lou Bricano wrote:
> On 4/17/2024 6:17 PM, Josh Rosenbluth wrote:
>> On 4/17/2024 3:58 PM, Just Wondering wrote:
>>> On 4/17/2024 5:20 AM, NoBody wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:23:36 -0000 (UTC), useapen
>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The University of Southern California said its valedictorian will no
>>>>> longer deliver a graduation speech this year, citing "substantial 
>>>>> risks
>>>>> relating to security" over social media chatter surrounding the 
>>>>> Israel-
>>>>> Hamas conflict.
>>>>>
>>>>> The Los Angeles school revealed that Asna Tabassum, a fourth-year 
>>>>> student
>>>>> from Chino Hills, California, was selected as the valedictorian and 
>>>>> would give a speech alongside two salutatorians. In a news release 
>>>>> Monday, the
>>>>> university said she would no longer speak at the ceremony after the
>>>>> discussion about her selection took on "an alarming tenor."
>>>>>
>>>>> The move comes after some students, alumni and others complained to 
>>>>> the
>>>>> university about Tabassum's social media, which includes an 
>>>>> Instagram bio
>>>>> that links to a pro-Palestine website.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2024/04/15/usc-cancels-
>>>>> valedictorian-graduation-speech-israel-hamas/73336731007/
>>>>
>>>> Nothing like silencing free speech.
>>>>
>>> If she avoids politics she should be allowed to speak.
>>> But the valedictorian speech should not give her a platform
>>> for a pro-Palestinian anti-Israel speech.  She should be
>>> allowed to say whatever she wants on the subject, but there
>>> is a time and place for everything and her college graduation
>>> ceremony is not the time and place for that sort of thing.
>>
>> That's not how freedom of speech ought to work.
> 
> I think canceling the woman's valedictory address is bad and wrong. 
> However, it's a private university and they don't have to play by the 
> same rules as state schools.

True. But, California has a law which extends freedom of speech to 
private universities to the point where a student cannot be disciplined 
for exercising their freedom of speech. It's doubtful that denying a 
student a valedictorian address is "disciplinary sanction" as stated in 
the statute, but you never know.