Rice backs out of Rutgers commencement address after protests

Condoleezza Rice, the former secretary of state and adviser to President George W. Bush, has withdrawn her decision to deliver the commencement address at Rutgers University May 18 due to protests from students and teaching staff objecting to her role in the Iraq War.

Rutgers President Robert Barchi confirmed Saturday that Rice was declining the invitation she had previously accepted.

“While Rutgers University stands fully behind the invitation to Dr. Rice to be our commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree, we respect the decision she made and clearly articulated in her statement this morning,” Barchi said in a two paragraph bulletin addressed to the university community.

Rice said she chose not to participate because she did not want to distract attention from an event honoring student accomplishments.

“Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families,” Rice said in a statement first reported Saturday by the Associated Press. “Rutgers’ invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time.”

As protests began recently, university officials declined to withdraw the invitation to Rice, who is now a professor of political science at Stanford University.

In her statement, Rice said she was proud of her record and has always “defended America’s belief in free speech and the exchange of ideas.” Rutgers’ president concluded his statement Saturday with a call for the university community to come together.