Santa Ono Blocked From Becoming University of Florida's President

New York Times

2 days ago

Florida officials on Tuesday rejected the candidacy of Santa Ono to lead the University of Florida, after he had been accused of leniency toward pro-Palestinian protesters while he served as president of the University of Michigan.
The University of Florida's board unanimously approved Mr. Ono last week, but the state's Board of Governors, which oversees the sprawling State University of System of Florida, did not ratify his selection.
Republicans celebrated the unexpected move. Mr. Ono had already given notice that he would be leaving his job in Michigan.
But in recent weeks he had been criticized by some conservatives in the state over his past stances on diversity and inclusion programs, although he wrote an opinion essay disavowing them.
'There's too much smoke with Santa Ono,' Representative Jimmy Patronis, a Florida Republican, wrote on social media. 'We need a leader, not a DEI acolyte. Leave the Ann Arbor thinking in Ann Arbor.'
Mr. Ono could not be immediately reached for comment. The University of Florida also did not immediately respond.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.