Story highlights Spokeswoman: Sen. John Cornyn "respects" Texas Southern University's decision

More than 850 people sign Change.org petition in "stark opposition" to his speech

(CNN) Officials at a historically black university in Texas on Friday canceled a planned speech by Republican Sen. John Cornyn in the face of "stark opposition" from students to the talk.

Texas Southern University in Houston had scheduled Cornyn to be the keynote speaker for commencement Saturday morning. But the school said the plan was reversed Friday morning.

"We asked Senator Cornyn to instead visit with our students again at a future date in order to keep the focus on graduates and their families," the school said in a statement. "We, along with Senator Cornyn, agree that the primary focus of commencement should be a celebration of academic achievement."

Two Democratic US representatives, Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, are still expected to speak at the commencement program, the school said.

The decision comes two days after Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos faced jeers and boos while giving a commencement speech at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black university in Florida.

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