Amid Student Protests, HBCU Cancels Top GOPer’s Commencement Speech

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 08: Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, makes his way to a Senate Republican luncheon in the Capitol. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 08: Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, makes his way to a Senate Republican luncheon in the Capitol. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, has been pulled from the commencement program at Texas Southern University after students at the historically black university protested his planned appearance.

In a statement Friday the university said that Cornyn has been asked to “instead visit with our students again at a future date in order to keep the focus on graduates and their families.”

The development comes days after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was booed and heckled as she delivered a commencement speech at a different historically black university, in Florida.

In a petition protesting Cornyn’s planned appearance Saturday, students had cited various stances he has taken, including his confirmation votes in favor of DeVos and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and his low rating by the NAACP.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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