After the rejection of Dr. Santa J. Ono as president of the University of Florida (UF), Republican Sen. Rick Scott, along with Congressmen Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Greg Steube (R-FL), sent a letter to the University of Florida's board of trustees urging them to conduct a "completely open and transparent search" for a new president.
"As the University of Florida embarks on its third presidential search in less than three years, we urge the Board to have a completely open and transparent search
process," the letter said. We believe an open process to the public that enables multiple candidates to be considered and interviewed is what led Florida to becoming the top state for higher education almost a decade ago."
In their request, the Republican leaders referred to a 2022 state law that shields much of the university's presidential process from public view, saying it's being "abused by creating an unfair system."
They also called for all vetting and application materials in the search to be made public.
In their letter, all three lawmakers reaffirmed their initial opposition to Ono, whose past statements on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and other "woke" issues ultimately led to his rejection.
Specifically, the lawmakers said that they rejected Ono for his handling of antisemitism and support for DEI initiatives.
"He failed to quickly and proactively stand up for Jewish students at the University of Michigan," they said. "UF has set a gold standard for fighting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students, and its leadership must follow suit."
They added "His long history of statements in support of DEI initiatives, record of embracing divisive and radical DEI policies showed that he is willing to appease and prioritize far-left activists over ensuring students are protected and receive a
quality education that prepares them for a job."
In their opening, all three thanked UF for protecting Jewish students following the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 in Israel, and for the school's leadership in "calling out antisemitism" in its aftermath.
"It is our hope that the next president of the University of Florida can continue to propel our flagship university to number one while standing for what’s right – especially in the wake of a terrifying rise of antisemitic rhetoric on college campuses across our nation," the letter said.
