Overview
- Georgetown’s interim dean told the law community Wednesday that Morton Schapiro had declined the May 17 commencement slot after a student petition, saying he did not want to distract from the celebration and noting that rescinding his invite would conflict with open inquiry.
- The petition gathered more than 280 signatures and said Schapiro was not a lawyer or tied to Georgetown and held “controversial, Zionist, and harmful” views based on his post–Oct. 7 opinion columns.
- Some Jewish students called the outcome hurtful, with one student leader alleging the law school asked Schapiro to step down because he backs a Jewish homeland.
- Georgetown named professor David Cole as the new speaker, highlighting the former ACLU legal director’s recent defense of broad campus speech rights and his criticism of congressional hearings on campus antisemitism.
- The switch fits a broader week of graduation flashpoints tied to Israel, with Rutgers rescinding a speaker invitation and Michigan’s president apologizing after remarks that praised pro‑Palestinian protesters.