The State University System of Florida Chancellor, a former Republican state senator, has stopped the search for the next president of Florida Atlantic University.
Ray Rodrigues said he wanted to look into claims that illegal questions like “Are you gay?” were asked during the hire process and that a straw poll had been used.
But on Tuesday, the editorial board of the Miami Herald said that the quick stop might be due to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “political whims” and that he put a friend who wasn’t fit for the job in the position.
“Everyone who can see and hear is asking if this is a plan to give a friend of DeSantis the prized job. A SECRET PLAN?” asked the board of the Herald.
The board wrote that the university’s search had been narrowed down to three applicants, all of whom had strong backgrounds.
“No anti-woke warriors, no political allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis, and no firebrands who have made a name for themselves by rallying against “liberal” college professors,” it said.
It went on to say, “More importantly, one name was left off the final list: State Rep. Randy Fine. Fine has no experience running a college or university, but he has spent a lot of time trying to stop drag-queen shows and threatening to cut off state funding to local governments in Central Florida if they offend him. Fine said in March that the office of DeSantis told him to apply for the FAU job.
The interviewers did a hidden straw poll to see if everyone agreed on the best candidates, and then the process came to a “sudden stop.”
Rodrigues said in a letter sent Friday that the school didn’t tell him about the straw poll, which could be against state law but is a normal procedure, according to the search committee.
Rodrigues also said that “at least one candidate” was asked on an optional diversity form if he was “male” or “transgender male.”
“FAU did not know about the questionnaire, which was a standard diversity survey used by the firm hired by the school, AGB Search, in all executive searches,” the Herald wrote.
CEO Rod McDavis told the Sun Sentinel, “More importantly, the survey was completely voluntary.” Is the state saying that at least part of a months-long process should be thrown out because of a volunteer questionnaire?”
The board said that earlier this year, six DeSantis appointees took over the board of the New College of Florida, the president was fired, and the diversity office was closed.
“In the best case, FAU’s presidential search was stopped because there were real worries that a university wasn’t doing things the right way,” it said.
“In the worst case, it’s another attack on academic freedom, which is something Florida already knows too much about.”
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