George Washington University student banned after pro-Palestinian graduation speech

[groundloop]

Source: The Guardian

A graduation speech at George Washington University has resulted in the graduate being banned from the campus after she used the platform to criticize the university’s ties to Israel and express support for Palestinians.

During Saturday’s commencement for the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, part of GWU in Washington, DC, graduating senior Cecilia Culver delivered remarks to the graduating class of nearly 750.

Culver condemned the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza, criticized GWU’s connections to Israel, and urged the audience to withhold donations from the college and push for financial transparency, as well as for the college to divest from Israeli-linked companies.

“I am ashamed to know my tuition [fee] is being used to fund this genocide,” Culver said from the stage. “I call upon the class of 2025 to withhold donations and continue advocating for disclosure and divestment.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/21/george-washington-university-palestine-speech

[Bok_Tukalo]

1. The weird bit is that this nationwide punishment for speech is not for criticizing the US

It is for criticizing a foreign country.

It's like draconian censure for opposition to Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

[SouthBayDem]

3. GWU is a private university nt

[wolfie001]

4. Bad PR

Maybe they don't care.

[IronLionZion]

5. Trump has been pressuring private universities

and punishing them by pulling federal funding, research grants, etc.

[twodogsbarking]

2. It was the comment about withholding donations that they didn't like.

[Ray Bruns]

6. Exactly.

[SouthBayDem]

7. GWU's response

We deeply regret that this moment of special celebration was violated for our students, their families, and other members of our community by this speaker, a former student who earned her degree in December of 2024. The speaker’s conduct during Saturday’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Celebration event was inappropriate and dishonest: the speaker submitted and recited in rehearsal very different remarks than those she delivered at the ceremony. The speaker has been barred from all GW’s campuses and sponsored events elsewhere.

“inappropriate and dishonest”: sounds like they’re confident the student was talking nonsense about the use of donations. I’m frankly tired of the excessive use of “genocide” especially when used to attack Biden and Harris; it desensitizes and lacks proportionality.

https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/statement-ccas-school-ceremony-disruption