Wisconsin Lutheran College no longer will have VP Pence deliver commencement address

Vice President Pence will no longer give a commencement address he had previously been slated to deliver for Wisconsin Lutheran College, the school announced on Thursday.

"Wisconsin Lutheran College today announced that after further review with careful consideration of the escalating events in Kenosha, the WLC Board of Regents and the College's Administration have jointly decided to present a different speaker instead of the Vice President of the United States, Michael R. Pence, at the Saturday, August 29, 2020, commencement," the school said in a statement. 

Rev. Mark Jeske of St. Marcus Lutheran Church will deliver the commencement remarks. 

There have been protests following the Sunday police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Authorities allege that an individual named Kyle Rittenhouse on Tuesday fatally shot two protesters and wounded one other. 

Pence press secretary Devin O'Malley said that the vice president supports the school's move, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

"Vice President Pence understands and supports Wisconsin Lutheran College’s decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of their students, and wishes the students well as they celebrate the accomplishment of graduating from college and as they embark on their next journey," O'Malley said.

The school previously said that having the vice president deliver the commencement address is not intended to be political in any way. An open letter from "Concerned members of the WLC community," however, blasted the college for selecting Pence to speak.

"WLC has insisted that this event, 'is not in any way meant to be viewed as a political event, as it cannot be, and is not a political statement.' They claim the decision was apolitical," the letter said. "However, the mere invitation of a Vice President of an incredibly divisive and controversial ticket to speak in a swing state months before an election is ignorant and deceptive. Speaking to young adults months before an election is a political move and not one that WLC can decide is apolitical."