Jewish Lawmakers Demand DeSantis Reconsider Board Appointee With 'Antisemitic' History

A bipartisan group of Jewish lawmakers is demanding Gov. Ron DeSantis rescind his university appointment of an embattled professor with a history of allegedly antisemitic and anti-women comments.

DeSantis should pick someone other than Scott Yenor, a former Boise State University professor, to sit on the University of West Florida Board of Trustees, the Jewish Legislative Caucus claimed Monday. They referenced Yenor's implication last month that Jewish members of Congress were elected because of identity politics and past comments calling feminism "evil."

"[Yenor's] history of antisemitic and misogynistic rhetoric is not only deeply offensive but also incompatible with the principles of leadership and integrity that should define Florida's higher education system," the letter reads. "We demand Governor DeSantis reconsider his appointment."

Yenor, 55, was one of five UWF appointments announced by DeSantis in early January. A member of the Society for American Civic Renewal, a men-only Christian nationalist organization, and an employee of the Claremont Institute's Center for the American Way of Life, he first came under fire after AP unearthed his past comments claiming that a good society discourages women from putting off motherhood in favor of higher education's "indoctrination camps."

Despite backlash, DeSantis defended his appointment. He blasted the media's "cherry picking" criticisms of right-wing politicians and attempts to "smear them," though acknowledged that he "hadn't heard" what Yenor had said.

Weeks later, Yenor drew the ire of Jewish Floridians when he took to social media to list the "slim pickin's" making up the Congressional Democrat Party. This included noting the potential disqualifiers of party members, which meant that "only six" of the 47 Democrat Senators are straight white men.

"Nine are Jews, two of whom are women and four of whom are 65-years-old or older," Yenor posted on X. "The three male Jews under sixty could also fall into the category of party reformers..."

Yenor will be subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.