Tobias Out As IU Law School Commencement Speaker

Former Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias has withdrawn himself as the commencement speaker for this year's graduating class at IU School of Law-Indianapolis according to the Star. Students were notified of his withdrawal by e-mail this morning. Another Randall, Chief Justice Randall Shepard, will take his place. The Star reports:

Former U.S. State Department deputy Randall Tobias withdrew this morning as the commencement speaker for the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis.

Tobias on Friday resigned his post at the State Department after he was linked to an alleged prostitution ring in Washington, D.C. Tobias told ABC News he used the service for massages, but did not engage in sexual activities with the women.

Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard instead will speak to the graduating students on May 13, according to IUPUI spokesman Richard C. Schneider.

Law school students were notified this morning by e-mail about the change. In the three-paragraph message, IUPUI interim dean Susanah Mead told students that Tobias "called me yesterday to discuss his thoughts about whether his participation could be a distraction, given current events."

Mead said Tobias "indicated that he did not want anything to detract from this very important day for you and your families and therefore he has decided that it would be best if he did not participate in the day's activities."