Rutgers rescinds paralyzed alum's commencement address invite without telling him why
Patrick McDermott/Getty Images


Rutgers University was in a bit of a pickle when former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced last weekend she would not deliver the school's commencement address because student protests had made it a "distraction." Yet somehow, the college created an even bigger brouhaha for itself when it extended, then retracted, an invitation to have former football player Eric LeGrand — who was paralyzed during a game — deliver the keynote in her stead.
LeGrand said he got a call Saturday asking him to give the address. But on Monday, Athletics Director Julie Hermann informed him that former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean would get the honor instead.
"I just want an explanation," LeGrand told NJ.com. "I wish somebody would have given me a call tonight and explained to me why. Then I can understand, but don't just leave me hanging."
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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