Commencement Speaker Chosen Instead of Dustin Lance Black Cancels on PCC!

This is awkward. You might remember the difficulties that Pasadena City College was going after its Board of Trustees apparently disinvited Oscar winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black as its spring commencement speaker. PCC implemented an overly confusing commencement speaker selection process that seemingly invited eight different speakers simultaneously. Black, an alumnus of PCC, accepted his invitation weeks ago and began the process of purchasing plane tickets and canceling paid gigs elsewhere so that he could attend the commencement ceremony before being disinvited a two weeks ago yesterday. Black publicly complained about this process and about the fact that he was apparently disinvited over sexually explicit pictures between him and an ex-boyfriend that were sold to the tabloids without his knowledge or permission back in 2009. Black has been in touch with his legal team to seek reimbursement for financial losses related to this situation. (Read here and here for more information.)

Anyway, the PCC Board of Trustees ended up officially invited Eric Walsh, Pasadena's Director of Public Health, as the commencement speaker. Now, after weeks of controversy, Walsh has canceled his involvement with PCC's Spring 2014 graduation ceremony:

Commencement speaker Eric Walsh, Pasadena’s Director of Public Health, has cancelled his plans to speak at the Spring 2014 graduation, according to a statement released by the District this afternoon after questions were raised about whether or not he was ever publicly board-approved to be the speaker in the first place.

“Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, Dr. Eric Walsh will be unable to serve as Commencement speaker on May 9^th,” the statement reads. “The Board of Trustees will approve a replacement speaker and authorize the college president to issue a formal invitation.”

The board will hold a special meeting tomorrow to discuss the commencement issue at 7 p.m. in the Creveling lounge.

At least two people in the linked article hope that PCC's Board of Trustees reached out again to Dustin Lance Black. Frankly, I think that ship has already sailed!