There’s no appeasing conservatives on higher education

Santa J. Ono recently received an opportunity to serve as president of the University of Florida. It was a position the university’s board of trustees had previously supported him unanimously. However, he was shell-shocked when, in a 10–6 vote, the board of governors of the State University System of Florida rejected his bid.

It’s the first time in Florida’s public university history such an outcome has occurred.

Critics from across the political spectrum celebrated Ono’s failure. “This is a massive win for conservatives,” hailed right-wing activist Christopher Rufo, while Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who called for an investigation into the search that yielded Ono, called it “the right decision.”

On the left, there was satisfaction as well.

“I don’t know how many times this needs to be said: there is no winning with these people. If you’re willing to sell your soul to try and appease them, then I’m sorry but you deserve whatever they do to you,” wrote Neil Lewis Jr., a communication professor at Cornell University.

In the wake of conservative attacks, Ono made a sharp U-turn on virtually every position he once espoused, from climate change to transgender rights. He talked about shuttering the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion during his tenure at the University of Michigan, but failed to mention a majority of the program was able to weather the brutal attacks it endured. He disingenuously dismissed the option of addressing the topic of race, resorting to the default position that people are better off if they refrain from discussion.

Ono proudly announced he had declined to sign an op-ed promising he was committed to endorsing and implementing President Trump’s wanton and outlaw approach to higher education, despite being a formerly staunch critic of the administration’s education policies. Earlier this year, he quietly disbanded Michigan’s DEI office.

Once the political weathervane shifted — when the right began its sinister and well-planned assault on equity — Ono didn’t anchor down. He drifted. This brazen and shamelessly opportunistic move resulted in him launching to the top of the list of candidates to lead the University of Florida.

The fact that someone would be eager to depart from one of the most prestigious academic jobs in the nation, only to eventually lose it, is simultaneously incredulous and fascinating. It is incomprehensible that such a seemingly intelligent and capable person would have so little self-regard for themselves. It is baffling that someone is willing to become a part of a university system currently represented by far-right wing cultural ideologies that are increasingly and unapologetically demonstrating their disdain, distaste, and disregard for any form of inclusive higher education.

Ono’s failure had nothing to do with his credentials and everything to do with perceived loyalty. The far right despises anyone who dares to demonstrate any level of moral integrity. For all its disparagement of DEI and race and gender-based programs, the conservative right values only blind, unwavering loyalty, not merit, qualifications, and principles and certainly not honesty, integrity, fairness, and truth.

It is unfortunate that such a distinguished and accomplished person was so keen to sacrifice his soul to curry favor with people doing everything in their power to debase and demolish higher education and transform it into an autocratic, predominantly white dystopian entity.

These conservatives dislike individuals such as Ono and me. They are attacking higher education with a viciousness not seen since the McCarthy era, with our colleges and universities facing unrelenting scrutiny across the political spectrum.

At the moment, for varied reasons, we are viewed with a largely bipartisan, jaundiced eye. This is why it is incumbent on us to continually go on the offense, to refuse to compromise human decency, and to never practice anticipatory obedience like Santa Ono and a growing number of members of academia.

Such antics are the epitome of cowardice.

Copyright 2025 Elwood Watson, distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Elwood Watson is a professor of history, Black studies, and gender and sexuality studies at East Tennessee State University. He is also an author and public speaker.