Robert Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California, has backed out of speaking at the graduation ceremony at Haverford College, according to The Associated Press.
He is the latest commencement speaker to bow out following political protests from students and faculty.
In 2011, UC Berkeley students holding protests in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street were attacked by campus police. As a result, some of the Haverford community objected to Birgenau's presence at graduation.
During the violent outbursts on campus, Birgeneau was traveling in Asia. In a letter to the suburban Philadelphia college, he wrote that he is a "longtime civil rights activist and firm supporter of nonviolence."
According to a Haverford spokesman, Birgeneau's spot will not be replaced and the school has three other speakers scheduled.
In an e-mail to the campus, Haverford President Daniel H. Weiss said he appreciated Haverford students voicing their opinions but still expressed some disappointment.
"It is nonetheless deeply regrettable that we have lost an opportunity to recognize and hear from one of the most consequential leaders in American higher education," Weiss said.
At Rutgers University, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed out from giving the commencement speech after students and faculty expressed concerns over her involvement in the War on Terror.
Protesters wrote an open letter to the university's president in the school newspaper.
"Rice signed off to give the CIA authority to conduct their torture tactics for gathering information from detainees as well," the letter continues. "These are clearly human rights issues. By inviting her to speak and awarding her an honorary degree, we are encouraging and perpetuating a world that justifies torture and debases humanity."
