The school's provost, Andrew Guzman, said in a statement on Monday that the decision to cancel the traditional graduation event had "nothing to do with freedom of speech" and was simply aimed at optimizing campus safety and security. Asna Tabassum, the valedictorian, said on Monday that the school had refused to give her the details behind its security assessment, adding that her studies in history and genocide resistance had shown her the danger of allowing hatred to silence people. "Due to widespread fear, I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope," she said in a statement.