Drew Wilson
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.
Scott responded to that defense in a statement provided to Florida Politics.
“Obviously this letter is deeply concerning and leads to even more questions about how this taxpayer funded process will move forward to ensure we have a qualified President to lead our flagship university and stand up for our Jewish students,” he said.
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.”
4 comments
Harold Finch
July 7, 2025 at 7:12 pm
Donald’s, Scott and Steube are all delusional idiots!
LexT
July 8, 2025 at 9:15 am
DEI is terrible. The words sound good, but they are place holders for Communism and promotion of the unqualified. That being said if you are looking for someone with any significant experience running a major University, who has worked in the last ten years, that person will have endorsed, in some way, DEI because DEI was the paradigm in Higher Education. I don’t know Ono. I don’t know whether he’d be a good or bad candidate, but having used DEI at his University should probably not be the litmus test.
KathrynA
July 8, 2025 at 9:26 am
I totally disagree. DEI has allowed so many to get education that could never afford it or. E considered. Now low income minorities will have less opportunities to educate and break the cycle of poverty. It is not communism. People add that moniker whenever they want to create fear or distrust of something and it is so seldom the case.
JM
July 8, 2025 at 11:31 am
I’m originally from Florida and worked under him during my time in Ann Arbor—though not directly. I met him a few times and even watched football with him from the suite. In our conversations, I could tell there was something different about him—something that didn’t quite align with the University’s public image or its emphasis on DEI initiatives. Instead, he seemed more in tune with those of us who often feel we have to keep our opinions to ourselves.
When he left for the University of Florida, it honestly made sense. There had been growing resistance to him from certain liberal circles in Ann Arbor. While the UF Board of Trustees voted to bring him in, it’s worth noting that many of the DEI efforts he was later criticized for by figures like Scott, Donalds, and Steube were strongly promoted by the largely Democrat-led Board of Regents at U-M.
I’m not taking sides—just offering an impartial perspective. I wasn’t even aware he had gone so far as to denounce DEI.
At the end of the day, I understand the sentiment behind “Don’t California my Florida,” especially with the influx of people moving there. I just wish someone could “Florida my Michigan.” God speed ya’ll!
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