Santa Ono Rejected as University of Florida President After DEI Backlash

Santa Ono Rejected As University Of Florida President After Dei Backlash

In a jaw-dropping political smackdown, Dr. Santa Ono—once a front-runner to become the next president of the University of Florida—has been unceremoniously dumped by the state’s Board of Governors.

Despite getting a glowing thumbs-up from UF’s own Board of Trustees, Ono’s appointment was torpedoed by a 10–6 vote, after conservatives rallied against him with fire and fury. Why? His past support for DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), his climate change activism, and his handling of campus protests had many on the right branding him a “woke warrior” in disguise.

Even after Ono tried to walk back his DEI credentials, saying he’d “follow Florida law”—it wasn’t enough. Nope. Not when big Republican names like Senator Rick Scott and Donald Trump Jr. were already calling foul.

Social media lit up. Accusations flew. And the optics? Messy. Let’s not forget—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the state’s top anti-woke crusader, didn’t even lift a finger to back Ono publicly. That silence? Deafening.

Ono, who previously led the University of Michigan and the University of British Columbia, was expected to bring global credibility and academic star power to UF. But in Florida’s high-stakes political climate, prestige just doesn’t cut it if you’re not aligned with the state’s red-hot conservative agenda.

This whole drama leaves UF without a permanent leader—again. Former president Ben Sasse left in a cloud of controversy after eyebrow-raising spending habits and hiring decisions triggered public outcry. Interim president Kent Fuchs was holding the fort—but now, the university must restart the search from scratch.

So what’s next for Santa Ono? Who knows. But one thing’s clear—Florida just slammed the door on him. Hard.