The rejection came a week after UF trustees voted unanimously to appoint him as the 14th president of the state’s third-largest university at a salary of $1.5m.
His name was quietly removed last month from a letter signed by more than 600 university presidents accusing the Trump administration of unprecedented interference in academic institutions.
Ono wrote an opinion piece for Inside Higher Ed in May explaining why he no longer believed DEI on campus represented equal opportunities for students.
“Over time, I saw how DEI became something else – more about ideology, division and bureaucracy, not student success,” Ono wrote, taking credit for eliminating university DEI offices in Michigan.
Florida’s rejection of Ono, who would have become the highest paid university president in the country, is symptomatic of the wider rightwing assault on higher education, with DEI and antisemitism allegations the primary pretexts.
Despite Santa Ono’s attempts to disassociate himself from his prior support of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and his criticism of Donald Trump, conservatives on a state college board overturned a decision to appoint the seasoned scholar to lead the University of Florida.
The 10-6 vote came after the Florida board of governors met in a heated session on Tuesday, during which members debated Ono’s record, citing charges that, while serving as president of the University of Michigan, he failed to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year.
A week after UF trustees unanimously decided to name him the 14th president of the third-largest university in the state, with a $1.05 million salary, he was rejected. Additionally, it came after what some detractors perceived as Ono’s attempt to “clean up” his record.
Almost 600 university presidents signed a letter last month accusing the Trump administration of unprecedented interference in academic institutions, but his name was discreetly removed. In May, Ono wrote a piece for Inside Higher Ed that expressed his opinion that DEI on campus no longer reflected equal opportunities for students.
According to Ono, who claimed credit for closing university DEI offices in Michigan, “I saw how DEI evolved over time – more about ideology, division, and bureaucracy, not student success.”.
Fighting antisemitism has also been a top priority for me in my work. I’ve collaborated extensively with Jewish educators, students, and community leaders to make sure that campuses are inclusive, safe, and respectful of everyone. “.”.
At least one governor expressed skepticism about Ono’s changing opinions during Tuesday’s board meeting in Tallahassee.
Paul Renner, a Republican who served as speaker of the Florida house before the nomination, told the New York Times that “the public record completely contradicted what the nominee was telling us.”.
Additionally, a number of conservative leaders in Florida, where Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has spearheaded an attack on what he perceives to be “woke ideology” on college campuses, had previously criticized Ono’s nomination.
Ono’s prior backing of DEI initiatives and allegations that he was slow to react to pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus in April and May of last year were among the points they brought up. Since then, the university has clamped down on the protests in an especially severe manner.
Former Florida Governor Senator Rick Scott claimed on X that Ono was not the best person to head a university he referred to as the “gold standard” in combating antisemitism.
Scott wrote, “He is prepared to bow to and give priority to far-left activists over making sure students are safe and receive a good education.”.
“UF deserves and needs a president who will support our Jewish students and stand firmly against hate, antisemitism, and divisive policies. “.”.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, Republican congressman Jimmy Patronis of Florida tweeted that governors should reject Ono.
The smoke from Santa Ono is excessive. Instead of a DEI acolyte, we need a leader. He wrote, “Leave the Ann Arbor thinking in Ann Arbor.”.
UF trustees, however, defended Ono against claims that he had shifted his position in order to land the Gainesville position.
“Dr. Ono’s opinions are not changing to accommodate Florida. They stated in a press release last month that “he has been changing his perspective over time – before UF ever approached him about this role.”.
As he learned new things, Dr. Ono embraced new viewpoints, just like any other competent scientist. “”.
UF trustee chair Mori Hosseini stated that Ono would have made sure “that scholarship and merit, not ideology, are the gold standards for success.”.
Ono would have been the highest paid university president in the nation, and Florida’s rejection of him is indicative of a larger right-wing attack on higher education, with DEI and antisemitism accusations serving as the main justifications. Given its opposition to the president’s attempts to regulate enrollment and curriculum, Harvard, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the nation, is at odds with Trump.
In addition to ordering embassies abroad to cease setting up interviews for foreign students wishing to study in the US, the Trump administration last week revoked the visas of thousands of international students, many of whom have since had their visas reinstated.
Reporting was done by the Associated Press.
