‘Absolute embarrassment': Florida's GOP-led education board torpedoes UF president search
The decision not only leaves UF without a permanent leader, but could potentially have far-reaching consequences for the future of higher education across the state. By rejecting a candidate who most recently led one of the nation's top research institutions, the board signaled that traditional scholars are no longer welcome as academic leaders in Florida.
Ono, a molecular immunologist who just finished a two-and-a-half year stint leading the University of Michigan, had been unanimously backed by the UF Board of Trustees last Tuesday. Had the Board of Governors voted yes, the three-time college president would have entered a five-year contract valued up to $15.4 million plus benefits. Ono, having already stepped down from Michigan, is now left without a position.
His appointment would have marked a symbolic win for UF, which has long aimed to match the University of Michigan in national rankings. Michigan currently holds the No. 3 slot in the U.S. News & World Report's public university rankings; UF ranks No. 7. UF board chair Mori Hosseini has been in a 'laserfocused' quest to boost UF's standing in national rankings.
A major Republican donor and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Hosseini praised Ono on Wednesday as a leader who has 'seen first hand how liberal orthodoxy that dominates many elite universities is failure, breeding division, eroding public trust and compromising academic rigor.' But Ono had been met with a lukewarm response from DeSantis and bitter opposition from other prominent Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
From the moment UF announced Ono as the sole finalist for the $3 million-a-year job on May 4, conservatives pounced on his former support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives while at Michigan, including a high-profile 'DEI 2.0' campaign and the expansion of one of the nation's most extensive DEI offices. Although Ono disbanded those programs in March, since describing his views as having 'evolved,' prominent conservatives widely met the reversal with skepticism rather than forgiveness.
Christopher Rufo — a Washington-State based conservative activist and key architect of DeSantis' anti-DEI crusade — helped orchestrate a public pressure campaign, celebrating Ono's defeat as a victory in the ideological war for the soul of higher education.
'We conducted an investigation, generated a strong media narrative, and made the case that Ono was a captured left-wing ideologue who would jeopardize Florida's reputation as the place 'where woke goes to die,'' Rufo wrote on X after the vote.
Tuesday's proceedings more closely resembled a political interrogation along the lines of a Capitol Hill confirmation hearing than a routine board vote. The board — which is stacked with DeSantis appointees — probed Ono's old tweets and statements and pressed him on what some saw as a less-than-swift response to antisemitism and pro-Palestinian encampments on Michigan's campus. There was scant discussion of Ono's academic vision for UF.
'It's an absolute embarrassment,' Amanda Phalin, a UF business professor who previously served on the Board of Governors, told reporters after the meeting. 'The political questions that were being asked portends more politics in the process and less focus on academics.'
Board member Paul Renner — a recent DeSantis appointee and former Florida House Speaker — confronted Ono with a binder of news clippings and past statements and demanded he clarify the timeline of his evolving stance on DEI, pointing to comments that appeared to support those programs long after the school eliminated them. Ono, clearly caught off-guard, struggled to recall or contextualize each item in the stack.
'My name is on a lot of things at institutions that I didn't write,' he said at one point, adding that some statements were written by committees or task forces.
Despite the mounting pressure, Ono remained steadfast in his desire to lead UF. In his public statements and before the Board of Governors, he aligned himself closely with DeSantis' vision for higher education, repeatedly affirming his support for the state's dismantling of DEI programs and other academic reforms.
'I support fully, the decision to end DEI,' Ono told the board. 'I'm here to ensure DEI never returns to the University of Florida. Science will lead — not ideology.'
Not everyone on the board agreed with the hostile tone of the proceedings. Charles Lydecker, who has served on the Board of Governors since 2019 and was also part of UF's search committee, raised concerns that governors were questioning Ono about years-old statements and hadn't been given a chance to review materials beforehand.
'We have never used this as a forum to interrogate,' Lydecker said. 'Are we a court of law here? Oor are we a body intending on ratifying the vote already taken at the University of Florida? This process doesn't feel fair to me.'
Chairman Brian Lamb, who ultimately voted in favor of Ono, also expressed concerns.
'We are the Board of Governors; we are not at the Supreme Court,' Lamb told board members.
Tensions also flared when Renner was confronted with revelations that he had previously expressed interest in the UF presidency. Mori Hosseini, the UF board chairman, disclosed that Renner had contacted him about the position before his appointment to the Board of Governors. Renner confirmed a conversation had taken place but denied actively pursuing the role.
Meanwhile, UF trustees, faculty leaders and donors passionately defended Ono. Kent Fuchs, UF's interim president and a former president himself, called Ono 'an accessible person, a person who leads with warmth, who leads with courage.' Fred Ridley, another UF trustee, implored the board to 'look past all the noise' and give Ono a fair shot.
Even the terms of Ono's contract seemed tailored to calm critics. The $15.4 million deal included strict assurances that no university funds would be used for DEI initiatives and that Ono would hire only administrators aligned with 'Florida's approach to higher education.'
As the final vote was tallied, audible gasps could be heard in the audience. Hosseini, visibly frustrated, whisked Ono away through a side door, escorted by police. When approached by reporters, Hosseini declined to take questions. Ono didn't look back.
Back inside the conference room, Board of Governors Vice Chair Alan Levine, who voted against Ono and intensely scrutinized his political positions for nearly an hour during the meeting, offered a handshake to UF trustee Patrick Zalupski. Zalupski turned him down.
'You f—ed up, man,' Zalupski said.
With UF now forced to restart its search for a new president — a costly, monthslong process — the stakes remain high. The university is still reeling from the brief-yet-turbulent tenure of Ben Sasse, who abruptly resigned in July only to be flagged later by state auditors for questionable spending. Sasse, a former U.S. Senator from Nebraska, was widely seen as a political pick ill-suited to run one of the nation's top research institutions.
Interim president Fuchs' contract expires July 31, and while it may be extended, the university's leadership vacuum could disrupt strategic initiatives, fundraising, and academic momentum.
Bernie Machen, who led UF from 2004 to late 2014, told the Miami Herald late Tuesday that university leadership is in a state of 'total confusion.'
'I think we're in a deep hole right now,' Machen said. 'Nobody has a clue about what's going to happen.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Democratic Party's Brand Is Cooked
Voters have increasingly little faith in the Democrats, a new Wall Street Journal poll found, with the party reaching its lowest favorability rating in more than three decades. Voters overwhelmingly believe that Republicans are better able to handle key issues in Congress than Democrats. The survey found that the majority of voters, 63 percent, have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party. Only 33 percent hold a favorable view. This is the most unpopular that Democrats have been according to Journal polls dating back to 1990. As President Donald Trump enacts an increasingly authoritarian agenda and provides little economic benefit to the average American, Democrats are hopeful anti-Trump backlash will give them a strong showing in the 2026 midterm election. While slightly more people expect to vote for Democrats next year than Republicans, according to the Journal poll, Democrats' overall favorability has only dropped since Trump took office. 'The Democratic brand is so bad that they don't have the credibility to be a critic of Trump or the Republican Party,' John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who worked on the survey, told the Journal. 'Until they reconnect with real voters and working people on who they're for and what their economic message is, they're going to have problems.' Anzalone's firm, which consulted for both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaigns, worked on the survey with Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio. According to the survey, voters think Republicans in Congress are more capable at handling the economy, inflation and rising prices, tariffs, immigration, 'illegal' immigration, the Russia-Ukraine war, and foreign policy. On the topic of 'illegal' immigration, 48 percent have their faith in Republicans and 24 percent choose Democrats. Democrats scored higher on health care and vaccine policy. Both parties tied at 37 percent on the issue of looking out for middle class families. 'As much as I fully believe that Democrats are not doomed for all eternity, I also believe that many Democrats aren't quite grappling with the serious credibility problems the party still faces,' Democratic operative Tré Easton posted on X. 'The podcasts and everything are real cute, but we've got work to do.' Democrats also scored low in a Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month. In that survey, approval of congressional Democrats reached a new low of 19 percent, with 72 percent of voters saying they disapproved. 'This is a record low since March 2009 when the Quinnipiac University Poll first began asking this question of registered voters,' the university wrote. The Quinnippiac poll found that even registered Democrats disapproved of the party: Thirty-nine percent approved of how Democrats in Congress were handling their jobs, while 52 percent disapproved. Among registered Republicans, 77 percent approved of how Republicans are operating in Congress. In the findings from the Journal, voters are mixed on Trump. About half, or 55 percent, of voters say the country is headed in the wrong direction. This is down from 70 percent in January, meaning voters have become more optimistic since Trump took office, yet Trump is not wildly popular. He has a favorability rating of 45 percent, and an unfavorability rating of 52 percent. A total of 46 percent approve of what Trump is doing as president, and 52 percent disapprove. Fifty-three percent disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, while 44 percent approve. On the issues of inflation, tariffs, immigration, looking out for middle class families, health care, vaccine policy, foreign policy, and the Russia-Ukraine war, voters disapprove of the job Trump is doing. On the topic of 'illegal' immigration, though, 51 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove. The Republican Party is not wildly popular either, though, with 54 percent of voters having an unfavorable view, compared to the 43 percent who have a favorable view. More from Rolling Stone Trump Claims Someone May Have Forged His Signature on Birthday Letter to Epstein I Worked With Stephen Colbert. Here's Why His Cancellation Should Scare You Yes, America Is an Oligarchy Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Los Angeles Times
5 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit
EDINBURGH, Scotland — President Trump played golf Saturday at his course on Scotland's coast while protesters around the country took to the streets to decry his visit and accuse United Kingdom leaders of pandering to the unpopular American president. Trump and his son Eric played with the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, near Turnberry, a historic course that the Trump family's company took over in 2014. Security was tight, and protesters kept at a distance were unseen by the group during Trump's round. He was dressed in black with a white 'USA' cap and was spotted driving a golf cart. The president appeared to play an opening nine holes, stop for lunch, then head out for nine more. By the middle of the afternoon, plainclothes security officials began leaving, suggesting Trump was done for the day. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the cobblestone and tree-lined street in front of the U.S. Consulate about 100 miles away in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital. Speakers told the crowd that Trump was not welcome and criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff U.S. tariffs on goods imported from the U.K. Protests were planned in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a 'Stop Trump Coalition.' Anita Bhadani, an organizer, said the protests were 'kind of like a carnival of resistance.' June Osbourne, 52, a photographer and photo historian from Edinburgh, wore a red cloak and white hood, recalling 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Osbourne held up a picture of Trump with 'Resist' stamped over his face. 'I think there are far too many countries that are feeling the pressure of Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him, and we should not accept him here,' Osbourne said. The dual U.S.-British citizen said the Republican president was 'the worst thing that has happened to the world, the U.S., in decades.' Trump's late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, and the president has suggested he feels at home in the country. But the protesters did their best to change that. 'I don't think I could just stand by and not do anything,' said Amy White, 15, of Edinburgh, who attended with her parents. She held a cardboard sign that said, 'We don't negotiate with fascists.' 'So many people here loathe him,' she said. 'We're not divided. We're not divided by religion, or race or political allegiance, we're just here together because we hate him.' Other demonstrators held signs of pictures with Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as the fervor over files in the late child abuser's case has created a political crisis for the president. In the view of Mark Gorman, 63, of Edinburgh, 'The vast majority of Scots have this sort of feeling about Trump that, even though he has Scottish roots, he's a disgrace.' Gorman, who works in advertising, said he came out 'because I have deep disdain for Donald Trump and everything that he stands for.' A Scottish newspaper, the National, greeted Trump's arrival with a banner headline in its Friday edition that read, 'Convicted U.S. felon to arrive in Scotland.' Saturday's protests were not nearly as large as the throngs that demonstrated across Scotland when Trump played at Turnberry during his first term in 2018. But, as bagpipes played, people chanted, 'Trump out!' and raised dozens of homemade signs with such messages as 'No red carpet for dictators,' 'We don't want you here' and 'Stop Trump. Migrants welcome.' One dog had a sign attached that said 'No treats for tyrants.' Some on the far right took to social media to call for gatherings supporting Trump in places such as Glasgow. Trump also plans to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. But golf is a major focus. The family will also visit another Trump course near Aberdeen in northeastern Scotland, before returning to Washington on Tuesday. The Trumps will cut the ribbon and play a new, second course in that area, which officially opens to the public next month. Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who is also set to meet with Trump during the visit, announced that public money will go to staging the 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known previously as the Scottish Championship, at Trump's first course near Aberdeen next month. 'The Scottish government recognizes the importance and benefits of golf and golf events, including boosting tourism and our economy,' Swinney said. At a protest Saturday in Aberdeen, Scottish Parliament member Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: 'We stand in solidarity, not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for.' The president has long lobbied for Turnberry to host the British Open, which it has not done since he took over ownership. In a social media post Saturday, Trump quoted the retired golfer Gary Player as saying Turnberry was among the 'Top Five Greatest Golf Courses' he had played in as a professional. The president, in the post, misspelled the city where his golf course is. Weissert writes for the Associated Press.
Chicago Tribune
5 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
The House is looking into the Epstein investigation. Here's what could happen next
WASHINGTON — A key House committee is looking into the investigation of the late Jeffrey Epstein for sex trafficking crimes, working to subpoena President Donald Trump's Department of Justice for files in the case as well as hold a deposition of Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee acted just before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early for a monthlong break from Washington. The committee's moves are evidence of the mounting pressure for disclosure in a case that Trump has unsuccessfully urged his supporters to move past. But they were also just the start of what can be a drawn out process. Here's what could happen next in the House inquiry as lawmakers seek answers in a case that has sparked rampant speculation since Epstein's death in 2019 and more recently caused many in the Trump administration to renege on promises for a complete accounting. Democrats, joined by three Republicans, were able to successfully initiate the subpoena from a subcommittee just as the House was leaving Washington for its August recess. But it was just the start of negotiations over the subpoena. The subcommittee agreed to redact the names and personal information of any victims, but besides that, their demand for information is quite broad, encompassing 'un-redacted Epstein files.' As the parameters of the subpoena are drafted, Democrats are demanding that it be fulfilled within 30 days from when it is served to Attorney General Pam Bondi. They have also proposed a list of document demands, including the prosecutorial decisions surrounding Epstein, documents related to his death, and communication from any president or executive official regarding the matter. Ultimately, Republicans who control the committee will have more power over the scope of the subpoena, but the fact that it was approved with a strong bipartisan vote gives it some heft. The committee chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he told the speaker that 'Republicans on the Oversight Committee were going to move to be more aggressive in trying to get transparency with the Epstein files. So, we did that, and I think that's what the American people want.' Comer has said that he is hoping that staff from the committee can interview Maxwell under oath on Aug. 11 at or near the federal prison in Florida where she is serving a lengthy sentence for child sex trafficking. In a congressional deposition, the subject typically has an attorney present to help them answer — or not answer — questions while maintaining their civil rights. Subjects also have the ability to decline to answer questions if it could be used against them in a criminal case, though in this instance that might not matter because Maxwell has already been convicted of many of the things she will likely be asked about. Maxwell has the ability to negotiate some of the terms of the deposition, and she already conducted 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials this past week. Democrats, however, warn that Maxwell is not to be trusted. 'We should understand that this is a very complex witness and someone that has caused great harm and not a good person to a lot of people,' Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, told reporters this week. Committee Republicans also initiated a motion to subpoena a host of other people, including former President Bill Clinton, former Sen. Hillary Clinton as well as the former attorneys general dating back to Alberto Gonzales, who served under George W. Bush. It's not clear how this sweeping list of proposed subpoenas will actually play out, but Comer has said, 'We're going to move quickly on that.' Trump is no stranger to fighting against congressional investigations and subpoenas. And as with most subpoenas, the Justice Department can negotiate the terms of how it fulfills the subpoena. It can also make legal arguments against handing over certain information. Joshua A. Levy, who teaches on congressional investigations at Georgetown Law School and is a partner at Levy Firestone Muse, said that the results of the subpoena 'depend on whether the administration wants to work through the traditional accommodation process with the House and reach a resolution or if one or both sides becomes entrenched in its position.' If Congress is not satisfied with Bondi's response — or if she were to refuse to hand over any information — there are several ways lawmakers can try to enforce the subpoena. However, that would require a vote to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress. It's practically unheard of for one political party to vote to hold one of its own members in contempt of Congress, but the Epstein saga has also cut across political lines and driven a wedge in the GOP. Ultimately, the bipartisan vote to subpoena the files showed how political pressure is mounting on the Trump administration to disclose the files. Politics, policy and the law are all bound up together in this case, and many in Congress want to see a full accounting of the sex trafficking investigation. 'We can't allow individuals, especially those at the highest level of our government, to protect child sex traffickers,' said Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a committee member. The Trump administration is already facing the potential for even more political tension. When Congress comes back to Washington in September, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers is working to advance to a full House vote a bill that aims to force the public release of the Epstein files.
