UF trustees push back on lawmakers’ criticism of presidential search

The University of Florida Board of Trustees is pushing back on federal lawmakers who opposed Santa Ono as the university’s next President.

In a lengthy letter sent to U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube — three vocal critics of the Ono pick — the board offers rebuttals to many of the critiques enumerated by the trio in a June 18 letter.

The gist of their concerns: Ono’s past support for so-called DEI initiatives and his handling of campus protests at the University of Michigan, the university he led before resigning ahead of his failed bid for UF President.

In a letter dated July 3, the UF trustees stated that the criticisms are “not grounded in the facts.”

The trustees emphasize that Ono has publicly renounced DEI initiatives and committed to adhering to Florida’s staunchly anti-DEI education model.

“I did not come to Florida to bring DEI back — I came to make sure it never returns,” he said during the confirmation process.

Trustees also highlighted praise Ono received from Michigan Hillel and the Anti-Defamation League for his response to campus protests related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Some assert that demonstrations denouncing the Israeli government’s actions are antisemitic.

UF’s BOT likewise claims its decision to name Ono as the sole finalist was justified as otherwise the university wouldn’t have been able to draw in a sitting president from a school of UM’s caliber — the letter further notes that sole finalists are permitted in exceptional cases, and that Ono’s selection met that standard.

Although UF Trustees approved Ono for the job, he was ultimately rejected by the State University System Board of Governors early last month, primarily due to the perception that he supported so-called DEI initiatives.

“It is troubling to us that others — including some of Dr. Ono’s most vocal critics — have been granted the benefit of evolving their views, yet he has been denied that same consideration despite clearly demonstrating alignment with Florida’s higher education priorities,” the letter reads. “This double standard — applauding others for ideological shifts while disqualifying Dr. Ono for views he no longer holds — is both inconsistent and unfair.”