Statement from the Board of Trustees and Chancellor of the City University of New York
“Free speech is precious, but often messy, and is vital to the foundation of higher education.
“Hate speech, however, should not be confused with free speech and has no place on our campuses or in our city, our state or our nation.
“The remarks by a student-selected speaker at the CUNY Law School graduation, unfortunately, fall into the category of hate speech as they were a public expression of hate toward people and communities based on their religion, race or political affiliation.
“The Board of Trustees of the City University of New York condemns such hate speech.
“This speech is particularly unacceptable at a ceremony celebrating the achievements of a wide diversity of graduates, and hurtful to the entire CUNY community, which was founded on the principle of equal access and opportunity. CUNY’s commitment to protecting and supporting our students has not wavered throughout our 175-year existence and we cannot and will not condone hateful rhetoric on our campuses.”
The Board of Trustees of the City University of New York
William C. Thompson Jr., Chairperson
Sandra Wilkin, Vice Chairperson
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor
As reported by VINnews