ORLANDO, Fla. - Santa Ono was rejected in his bid to become the University of Florida president in a Tuesday Board of Governors vote. The Florida state university system’s Board of Governors met June 3 at the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando to approve a motion to confirm Ono as president.

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.