Florida leaders hail vote to block Ono from UF: ‘The right decision'
The board that governs Florida's higher education system delivered a stunning rebuke to the state's flagship college on Tuesday, blocking Santa Ono from becoming the next president of the University of Florida.
Citing concerns over Ono's past statements on diversity, equity, antisemitism and other cultural issues, the board cast aside the former University of Michigan president by a 10-6 vote, with one member absent.
Some state leaders and education figures who had called for the Board of Governors to block Ono applauded the vote on social media.
'This is the right decision for @UF,' Sen. Rick Scott posted on X, a day after raising significant concerns about Ono's candidacy. 'UF's students, faculty, and staff deserve a president who will stand for Florida values and against antisemitism.'
Christopher Rufo, a prominent conservative voice on education and a trustee at New College of Florida, saluted the board's 'act of courage,' and pledged 'NO AMNESTY FOR THE ARCHITECTS OF THE DEI REVOLUTION.'
'There needs to be a real shakeup at the University of Florida board of trustees, which voted unanimously in favor of a man who promoted gender pronouns, land acknowledgements, two-spirit insanity, DEI 2.0, critical race theory, and child sex-change procedures,' Rufo wrote.
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis called the often contentious Board of Governors meeting 'incredibly difficult,' but said it was necessary.
'Today's vote was tough, but I'm happy to see the system work,' he posted. 'I trust @UF will bring back the best and brightest to lead the University of Florida.'
Former U.S. Rep. Byron Daniels, who is running to become Florida's next governor, was another politician who spoke out against Ono.
'I give credit to the Florida Board of Governors for standing up for Florida's conservative values,' he wrote. 'Woke has NO place in our university system. It's time to restart the presidential search at @UF and find a more qualified candidate to lead our flagship university forward.'
And state Rep. Brad Yeager, R-New Port Richey, said the Board of Governors 'fixed a big mistake and stopped wokeness from leading one of our top Universities!'
On the other end of the spectrum, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a UF alumnus, said the university will have its work cut out for it in attracting top candidates following Tuesday's decision.
'Today's vote begs the question: what top tier academic leader will subject themselves to the far-right fanatics running Tallahassee?' she said in a statement. 'UF is vying to be the nation's top public research university. Installing right-wing, unqualified partisans at the helm will only delay or derail that ascent.'
Times staff writers Divya Kumar and Jeffrey S. Solochek contributed to this report.
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