Progressive Academic Rejected as Choice for President at the University of Florida
“Ono was met with a lukewarm response from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a powerful voice in higher education, and outright opposition from other Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott and Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube”
A progressive academic named Santa Ono has been rejected by Florida’s higher education board as the choice to lead the University of Florida as president.
In recent years, conservatives have gained a small foothold in higher education in Florida and many of them were vehemently opposed to Ono’s candidacy.
Conservative education activist Chris Rufo tweeted:
BREAKING: The Florida Board of Governors has rejected Santa Ono for the presidency of University of Florida. This is a massive win for conservatives—and an act of courage by the board.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) June 3, 2025
NBC News reports:
Pick for University of Florida president rejected after a conservative backlash
In a surprise twist, the state of Florida’s top higher education board on Tuesday voted against a contract for Santa Ono, who was set to be the next president of the University of Florida. The decision came after growing opposition on the right to Ono’s past statements on, among other things, diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
The rejection of Ono, the former president of the University of Michigan, also put Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a thorny political position.
One of DeSantis’ longtime biggest political supporters — Mori Hosseini, the billionaire chair of the University of Florida board of trustees — strongly backed Ono’s bid to become president of the state’s flagship university.
On the other hand, national conservatives including Christopher Rufo — an activist who built his reputation fighting racial sensitivity trainings and critical race theory courses — Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. — a Trump ally running for Florida governor — and Donald Trump Jr. argued that Ono’s past support for DEI policies made him unqualified for the job.
“WTF! Have the decision makers at @UF lost their minds!???” Trump Jr. wrote in an X post last month. “This woke psycho might be a perfect fit for a Communist school in California, but how is he even being considered for this role in Florida?
WTF! Have the decision makers at @UF lost their minds!??? This woke psycho might be a perfect fit for a Communist school in California, but how is he even being considered for this role in Florida?
Every single member of the Florida Board of Governors should vote against him!!! https://t.co/31E3WQdMPy
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 28, 2025
Politico is taking the news well:
Amid bitter conservative backlash, state board rejects University of Florida president pick
State university leaders rejected Santa Ono as the University of Florida’s prospective president Tuesday in a shocking move sparked by conservative outrage over his support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives while leading the University of Michigan.
The unprecedented decision by the university system Board of Governors erases a presidential pick that UF trustees expected to propel the school into greater national prominence. But Ono was met with a lukewarm response from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a powerful voice in higher education, and outright opposition from other Republicans including Sen. Rick Scott and Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube.
People on the left are reacting in shock because they’re not used to this. I am reminded of a phrase that has been said repeatedly on Twitter over the last few months. When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
Featured image via YouTube.
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Comments
Santa Claus would be a better choice than Santa Ono!
Santa Claus: pro-American, pro-American values, pro-children.
Santa Ono: pro-Palestinian, pro-climate change, pro-gender ideology, Pro-DEI, pro-liberal to the max.
The board that nominated this guy – how are its members chosen and how difficult is it to flush the mental sickness out?
The fact that this twit was nominated in true-red Florida shows that pernicious and corrupting Dhimmi-crat influence still pops up in certain spheres, even in solidly conservative states. It’s still possible for Dhimmi-crats to influence and dominate smaller state Boards that receive less scrutiny.
Amazing.
Some signs of sanity, somewhere.
“People on the left are reacting in shock because they’re not used to this”
Keep pounding the left until losing feels good.
According to the vile Dhimmi-crat media shills, it’s always a “backlash” when conservatives fairly push back against obnoxious and cancerous leftist/Dhimmi-crat influence and overreach, but, any agitprop and advocacy engaged in by Dhimmi-crats is always characterized as an allegedly laudable “protest.”
And “Progressives” [sic} are never described by the mainstream media as “Left-wing”, but those media love to label non-Progressives as “Right-wing” or “Far-Right”.
worst news is that the government is in charge of choosing
just because I love to see a lefty defeated it is better for america to turn the education system to the people whose should directly pay and then have the 1000% say in the curriculum
Governor DeSantis is doing in FL what Trump is trying to do in the US. I can only hope there is a place for him in the next Republican admin, if not at the top.
If only DeSantis was President instead of Trump.
Cry harder.
Yep, Trump gets SO much correct…but he has rough edges and makes mistakes, in his bombastic over-confidence, that DeSantis probably wouldn’t make…like his handling of Russia/Ukraine.
Local and State elections are where most of.the rubber meets the road b/c those are.folks who make most the decisions impacting your State, your County and City. If your local and State gov’t is deep blue then a GoP Congress and POTUS isn’t gonna be able to ‘save you’ from most of the jackass public policies imposed by your State and local Gov’t. Where those of.us in Red States must do better is paying closer attention to oversight boards that are appointed and holding the elected officials who make poor appointments accountable instead of allowing them to weasel out.
Who are the members of the Board of Governors who voted in favor of this candidate? Have they defended their votes?
Correct. I have been saying for years that one of the country’s biggest problems are the trustees, regents, directors, corporations – call them what you will – at the top of organizations, corporations, universities, foundations, etc. They tend to be largely unknown publicly, nameless, and extremely powerful, and are responsible for the tone, nature, nature, and behavior of the organizations they run. Learn more about them.
All candidates wearing sport coats over polo shirts, please migrate to the left side of the room…
Good.