Longtime academic Santa Ono has been rejected for the University of Florida presidency by the state university system board.

Florida state university leaders voted to reject Santo Ono as president of the University of Florida, following Republican backlash over the former University of Michigan president’s previous support for diversity programs.

ORLANDO, Fla. (WCJB) - The State University System (SUS) Board of Governors convened Tuesday afternoon to vote on Dr. Santa Ono’s appointment as the next president of the University of Florida (UF). In a split decision, the board denied Ono’s appointment.