To President Suresh Garimella, Chief of Staff Rachel Reinhardt, the UA Commencement Team, Provost Patricia Prelock, Senior Vice Provost Jenna Rickus, Vice President for Student Affairs Amanda Kraus, and Dean Carmie Garzione of the College of Science,

We, the undersigned students of the University of Arizona, along with concerned staff, faculty, and community members, join to urge you to stand with survivors of sexual violence by revoking the decision to host abuser and Epstein affiliate Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, as the 2026 Commencement Speaker and honorary Doctoral degree recipient. We also call for the university to cut all funding to Schmidt Sciences, Schmidt’s private company.

In the United States, college students of all gender identities are the largest demographic of sexual assault survivors. To invite Eric Schmidt to speak at our commencement sends a distressing message to survivors as well as the whole of our campus community. This is because of both his connections to abuse and for his own violence against women. Schmidt is named in the Epstein Files as a frequent invitee to Epstein’s island, is reported to be “thick as thieves” with Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, and invested millions in the companies that we know sponsored Epstein and Maxwell’s networks of horrific abuse. 

But, Schmidt is more than connected to abusers. He is one himself. In September 2025, Michelle Ritter brought forth a case to fight for her right to a trial against Schmidt for sexually and emotionally abusing her throughout their relationship. Schmidt used his access to Google’s advanced technology to cyberstalk and harass Ritter even after the relationship ended. Someone who does this should not be honored for his “contributions” to science.

In March 2026 her case was sent to private arbitration, but Ritter wants her story to be heard. It highlights how young women can be pressured into private dealings that allow wealthy, powerful abusers to hide the harm they have done. As students, we cannot allow our graduation ceremony, a time meant to celebrate our achievements, to become a platform for someone who embodies the very oppression and violence we seek to abolish. 

We call for the immediate removal of Eric Schmidt as the 2026 Commencement Speaker, and for his honorary degree to not be awarded. We call for the university to immediately cut financial ties to his company. Our commencement should symbolize and exist as a moment of hope and progress for graduates, not one attached to the long-lasting memory of abuse. The College of Science, where the honorary degree would come from, says that they “believe that every student has the potential to change the world if given the chance,” and we are using our voices to take that chance. Let us demonstrate as a premier university that we prioritize students' voices and the well-being of survivors, emphasizing that all members of our community deserve respect and dignity.