Santa Ono barred from UF presidency amid mounting pressure from GOP officials

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5 hours ago

Santa Ono was barred from being the next president of the University of Florida amid rising dissent from leading Republicans who question whether he'd protect Jewish students in the preeminent state university.
One thorny issue for Ono and many higher education leaders has been dealing with pro-Palestine encampments on campus: Protests generally are protected, but camping overnight or setting up structures can be subject to policies about safety and access, for example.
And some Jewish students have reported feeling uneasy or even threatened because of encampments on campuses.
UF's Board of Trustees approved Ono, president of the University of Michigan. Yet when facing the Board of Governors, a 17-member board that oversees the public university system, Ono was grilled the afternoon of June 3 over his handling of encampments in Michigan last year.
UF Trustees vote: University of Florida Board of Trustees selects Dr. Santa Ono as university's 14th president
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, for instance, said in a statement prior to the failing vote that he was concerned over Ono's "concerning record" from allowing encampments for nearly a month, "putting Jewish students in danger and failing to uphold even the most basic standards of leadership.
"This is the right decision for UF," Scott said in an X post after the vote. "UF's students, faculty and staff deserve a president who will stand for Florida values and against antisemitism."
Ono's past support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which he has since walked back, also has gotten him crosswise with Florida GOP elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Panhandle Republican who until recently was Florida's elected chief financial officer.
"@UF sets the benchmark for education nationwide. There's too much smoke with Santa Ono. We need a leader, not a DEI acolyte. Leave the Ann Arbor thinking in Ann Arbor," Patronis posted June 2 on X.
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, wrote a letter to the board last week asking them to reject Ono and restart the presidential search, saying his past positions and policies in Michigan are disqualifying.
"Hollow assurances of an 'evolved mindset' cannot erase Dr. Ono's history of preferential treatment for far-left causes, coupled with his cold indifference to student safety," Steube said in a press statement Friday.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, also questioned Ono's capability in a thread on X prior to the vote, saying, "Now more than ever, Floridians deserve answers."
"How can the UF community be assured you'll be realistic about the prominence of anti-Semitism on college campuses, shut down protests, and keep public order?" asked Donalds, so far the only leading Republican to declare his candidacy for the 2026 Florida governor's race.
More recently, Ono's handling of encampments and pro-Palestine demonstrations while leading the University of Michigan was specifically questioned.
Ono has explained that resources available to him at the time were not enough to manage the situation and he wanted to ensure encampments would not affect the university graduation ceremonies, which is why it took 30 days to break them up.
"It's just not acceptable," Ono said to the Board of Trustees, discussing encampments.
In 2024, nine pro-Palestine protesters were arrested at the University of Florida, including many students. They argued they were exercising their First Amendment rights. UF released guidance that students are free to hold signs and engage in speech but not allowed to break rules against camping and violence.
Pro-Palestine UF Protests: Controversy: UF may trespass protestors engaging in prohibited activities
In his meeting with trustees, Ono did not specify further what would qualify as an encampment, what resources he would need to break one up if needed, and whether it would infringe on First Amendment rights to speech and assembly.
Jerry Edwards, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said universities often are given special deference in court because of their educational mission.
"The way (speech restrictions are) implemented may end up being unconstitutional. On its face, I cannot say that they're not able to put restrictions in place," Edwards said.
And Gainesville-based First Amendment attorney Gary Edinger said universities certainly can create rules on encampments that do not violate freedom of assembly, as long as these rules are created and enforced neutrally.
"Application in universities has often been problematic," Edinger said. "If our new president says no encampments, and it's done on a neutral basis, … I think that's going to survive a challenge."
More: Who is the next president of UF? What we know about finalist Dr. Santa Ono
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at [e-mail]. On X: @stephanymatat.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Santa Ono barred from UF presidency after Florida Republicans called for no-vote