Overview
- The university, which confirmed Thursday’s Yankee Stadium address, said it will not rescind Haidt’s invitation and called him “one of the most consequential scholars of the 21st century.”
- Student government leaders on May 5 posted an open letter calling the pick “deeply unsettling” and alleging homophobic remarks and harmful claims about transgender identity.
- The letter also criticized his stances on antiracism and DEI programs and said the choice leaves some graduates feeling their celebration is misunderstood.
- Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU’s Stern School and author of The Coddling of the American Mind and The Anxious Generation, declined direct comment and said through a spokesperson he felt “deeply humbled.”
- Reactions split along ideological lines, with the advocacy group Fight for the Future blasting his research on social media harms while right-leaning outlets framed the student push as an attempt at cancel culture.