Paralyzed Rutgers Player Will Speak at Commencement

Eric LeGrand said he was invited, uninvited, then invited again.

Rutgers graduation planning has become an embarrassment to the university. First, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was invited to speak — but she backed out after protests from students and faculty. Then paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand said he had been invited to speak, then uninvited in favor of former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean.

Now LeGrand has been invited again:

But on Tuesday, the university said there had been a miscommunication. It said LeGrand will indeed be a commencement speaker. Just not the commencement speaker.

LeGrand, who will receive his bachelor’s degree at the May 18 ceremony, will instead address the crowd as “a special representative of the Class of 2014.” His talk will come before Kean’s.

“This was an honest mistake on their part,” he said, meaning Rutgers. “And I am thrilled that I will be joining Governor Tom Kean as a speaker at the commencement on May 18th.”

But there are 11 days until graduation. The speaker list could change yet! (Washington Post)