Florida's Board of Governors rejects Santa Ono's bid to lead University of Florida

The Florida state university system board on Tuesday rejected University of Michigan President Santa Ono's nomination to lead the University of Florida amid conservative backlash over his previous support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Ono has stated that he initially supported DEI initiatives because he thought it promoted equality, but has since changed his mind. His approach to education is now more in line with Florida's, he said.

Despite the clarification, the Florida Board of Governors voted to reject his bid for president in a 10-6 split, the Associated Press reported. 

The university's Board of Trustees unanimously approved his bid last month, meaning Tuesday's vote overturned the decision. 

The move comes after several prominent Republicans in the state, including Sen. Rick Scott, raised questions about Ono beyond DEI, including about pro-Palestinian protests, climate change efforts and gender ideology issues at the University of Michigan.

Scott said Ono's past embrace of DEI and other issues at the university demonstrates he is "willing to appease and prioritize far-left activists over ensuring students are protected and receive a quality education."

"At a time of rising antisemitism across the country and the world, UF needs and deserves a president who will stand strong against hate, antisemitism and divisive policies and stand with our Jewish students," he continued in a post on X. "Any potential president at the school must fully commit to doing so – publicly and proactively."

Erika Donalds, the wife of Florida gubernatorial candidate and GOP Rep. Byron Donalds, celebrated the move during an appearance on Tuesday's episode of the "Just The News, No Noise" TV show.

"We're not taking chances on someone who doesn't truly believe in conservatism and what we need to do to take our flagship university to the next level," she said. "The Board of Trustees is going to have to go back to the drawing board and find the right person to lead University of Florida."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.