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NYU Names Haidt Commencement Speaker Amid Student Protest

5/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Jonathan Haidt will deliver NYU’s commencement speech at Yankee Stadium on Thursday despite student-government objections.
The Student Government posted on Instagram that Haidt’s selection is a regression because he criticizes antiracism and DEI.
The student government said the university failed to find a speaker whose scholarship and contributions reflect graduates’ values and diversity.
Outgoing sophomore class president Grayson Stevenson argued that protesting Haidt silences a viewpoint rather than fostering debate.

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Story summary

Jonathan Haidt will deliver NYU’s commencement speech at Yankee Stadium on Thursday despite student-government objections.
The Student Government posted on Instagram that Haidt’s selection is a regression because he criticizes antiracism and DEI.
The student government said the university failed to find a speaker whose scholarship and contributions reflect graduates’ values and diversity.
Outgoing sophomore class president Grayson Stevenson argued that protesting Haidt silences a viewpoint rather than fostering debate.