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1h ago

Rutgers Rescinds Engineering Convocation Speaker After Student Objections to Israel Posts

The decision underscores universities’ focus on keeping ceremonies unified in response to boycott threats over posts about the Israel‑Hamas war.

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights logo is shown on concrete before the game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Oregon Ducks at SHI Stadium on October 18, 2025, in Piscataway, New Jersey.
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Graduates and guests of Rutgers University graduation exit the ceremonies. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Rutgers, which withdrew the School of Engineering invitation Wednesday, said some graduates would skip the May 15 ceremony because of the speaker’s social media posts.
  • The disinvited speaker is alumnus and Arcellx CEO Rami Elghandour, whose April 20 post accused Israel of genocide and referenced a claim about training dogs to sexually assault prisoners that reporters have noted lacks independent verification.
  • University officials said the move keeps the focus on celebrating graduates so no student feels forced to choose between personal convictions and attending their own convocation.
  • Elghandour called the reversal heartbreaking and said he will post a recorded version of the address he planned to deliver.
  • The episode fits a broader run of commencement disputes over speech on the Gaza war and follows Rutgers’ January 2025 agreement to update anti‑discrimination policies after a federal probe into antisemitism.