Mon Jun 02 07:39:58 UTC 2025: **MIT Bars Valedictorian From Graduation Over Gaza Speech**

**New York -** Megha Vemuri, the class president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), was barred from attending her graduation ceremony after delivering a speech critical of the war in Gaza, according to reports released on June 2, 2025. Vemuri, an Indian-American student, delivered her speech at the OneMIT Commencement ceremony on May 29, 2025, where she praised student protesters and criticized MIT’s ties to Israel while wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of pro-Palestinian solidarity.

MIT officials confirmed that Vemuri was prohibited from attending the May 30th undergraduate ceremony and barred from campus until it concluded. The university stated that Vemuri “deliberately and repeatedly mislead Commencement organisers and leading a protest from the stage,” and defended their decision. They clarified that Vemuri will still receive her degree.

Vemuri expressed disappointment with MIT’s actions, stating that she saw “no need for me to walk across the stage of an institution that is complicit in this genocide.” Her father, Sarat, confirmed that she would receive her diploma by mail.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned MIT’s decision, with CAIR-Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud calling for the university to “respect academic freedom and respect the voices of its students.”

This incident is the latest in a series of disciplinary actions against students protesting the war in Gaza across U.S. college campuses. Universities are grappling with balancing free speech with concerns about civility and safety. Recent months have seen increased tensions and accusations of antisemitism following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.

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