Author and professor Jonathan Haidt was selected as NYU’s graduation speaker this year and, not surprisingly a woke contingent of students were quick to demand someone else. Why? Because Haidt’s views about DEI are said to be problematic.
NYU’s Student Government Assembly condemned the university’s selection of Stern professor and “The Anxious Generation” author Jonathan Haidt as its commencement speaker in a Friday Instagram post, criticizing his “disturbing rhetoric around antiracism, social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The SGA called Haidt’s selection “a regression” from previous commencement speakers, citing his yearslong history of criticizing of progressive university culture. The SGA’s Executive Committee emailed the statement to administrators on May 5, asking them to reconsider the decision amid students’ “unnecessary disappointment and resentment.”
“Students are astonished by the university’s inability to leverage its vast network and unique connections to secure a speaker whose scholarship and global contributions more accurately reflect the values and diversity of its graduates,” the statement read.
Haidt’s most recent book, The Anxious Generation, was about how cell phones and social media seem to be contributing to a mental health crisis among young people. But that’s just not good enough according to the student government.
“By elevating a platform that treats ‘device-free’ as a radical act, the university is effectively disregarding the very real-world crises and systemic hurdles that have defined our graduates’ experiences,” the statement read. “In a world marked by sustained attacks on higher education and the global unraveling of diversity, equity and inclusion, which has only deepened inequities, Professor Haidt is not the appropriate individual to address the Class of 2026.”
In short, they’d rather have a DEI lecturer pushing junk science than someone doing actual research. But the real irony here isn’t the rejection of Haidt’s most recent book but the way in which these students are proving the thesis of his earlier book.
In his breakout book, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” he and his co-author, Greg Lukianoff, argued that schools cultivated a mentality of fragility, making personal safety paramount, while de-emphasizing problem-solving skills.
Students, they concluded, were insulated from encountering uncomfortable situations and upsetting ideas, leaving them ill-prepared to handle difficulty as adults.
Some N.Y.U. students who think Dr. Haidt is the wrong choice said their objective is not to silence him.
“I don’t think that students saying that the speaker doesn’t represent our values is the same thing as students being incapable of hearing opposing viewpoints,” said Grayson Stevenson, the outgoing sophomore class president at N.Y.U. “Those are two very different things.”
He and the student government leaders pointed to Dr. Haidt’s criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
No offense to Grayson Stevenson who I’m sure is very smart, but if you’re trying to get the commencement speaker replaced, you are in fact trying to silence him. Perhaps if you’d suggested an additional speaker more to your liking you could claim you weren’t silencing anyone, but if you’re trying to knock the guy off the podium by complaining about his DEI comments, you’re silencing him.
The student government offered a list of previous speakers they liked.
In their letter, the students expressed shock that N.Y.U. could not find a speaker “whose scholarship and global contributions more accurately reflect the values and diversity of its graduates.” In past years, they noted, speakers included Taylor Swift, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the lawyer David Boies.
“Many students have reported feelings of disappointment, disgust, unenthusiasm, defeat, and embarrassment,” the letter went on, expressing regret that their celebratory moment had instead “become another instance of being misunderstood.”
As someone pointed out on X, they are praising David Boies as a superior choice that doesn’t embarrass them?
The most astounding thing about this: the students’ letter protesting Jonathan Haidt cites *David Boies* — who personally helped Harvey Weinstein surveil, harass, and cover up his rape victims — as an example of a good commencement speaker. Absolutely lost the plot https://t.co/oE8wS9qRrI pic.twitter.com/86cxDOk6sB
— Steve Morris (@stevemorris__) May 13, 2026
So (allegedly) harassing rape victims is cool, but criticizing DEI is disgusting. These are the “values” that they want represented in a commencement speaker.
The real embarrassment here is the coddled students who can’t tolerate even one hour of a speaker they disagree with and so they seek to cancel him. Maybe the message these graduates most need to hear is this one: Grow up and stop whining, you absolute babies.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy HotAir’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join HotAir VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
