Senator Sasse Faces Protestors in Florida

By Gordon HopkinsU.S. Senator Ben Sasse’s welcome when he arrived at his potential future place of employment, the University of Florida, was anything but warm.Hundreds of students protested at a forum on Monday, October 10, 2022, intended to introduce Sasse to students, faculty and other members of the university community. Many of those protestors chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho. Ben Sasse has got to go.” On Thursday, October 6, 2022, the University of Florida Presidential Search Committee announced that it had unanimously recommended Sasse as the sole finalist for consideration as president of the University of Florida by its Board of Trustees. Although he has not yet formally accepted the position as of press time, it is expected he will resign as senator by the end of the year. If he does accept the position, Sasse will replace Kent Fuchs, who is leaving the position after eight years but will remain at the school as a professor. According to a statement from the University of Florida, “The recruitment process was exhaustive and included outreach to more than 700 leaders within and outside of higher education. Ultimately, the Search Committee focused its attention on a dozen highly qualified diverse candidates. Nine were sitting presidents at major research universities, and seven were from AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) universities. Sasse was the unanimous choice of the UF Search Committee.”Benjamin Eric Sasse, a Republican, has been serving as the junior United States senator for Nebraska since 2015.Reasons for ProtestsNot everyone is as enthusiastic about the choice of president. On Monday, October 10, Sasse visited the university’s campus in Gainesville. Three question and answer forums were scheduled to introduce the prospective new president to students, faculty and others.According to a report by the school’s newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator, Sasse left the second forum 15 minutes early, after which protesters flooded the President’s Ballroom, where the forums were being held. The third forum was conducted via livestream.Protesters accused Sasse of being homophobic and cited his stance on gay marriage as an example.On June 26, 2015, Sasse issued a statement in response to Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court’s decision protecting gay marriage, “Today’s ruling is a disappointment to Nebraskans who understand that marriage brings a wife and husband together so their children can have a mom and dad. The Supreme Court once again overstepped its Constitutional role by acting as a super-legislature and imposing its own definition of marriage on the American people rather than allowing voters to decide in the states.” Alan Halaly, Engagement Managing Editor for The Alligator, wrote, “For those aware of UF’s well-documented history of systemic homophobia, Sasse’s comments are a call back to a time when being LGBTQ on campus put a target on some community members’ backs.”During the forums, Sasse said, “Do I support and affirm everybody in this community? Absolutely. And frankly, one of my jobs would be to make sure that we as a community work hard for everybody to feel included.”Presidential Search CommitteeAccording to a statement from the University of Florida, “The recruitment process was exhaustive and included outreach to more than 700 leaders within and outside of higher education. Ultimately, the Search Committee focused its attention on a dozen highly qualified diverse candidates. Nine were sitting presidents at major research universities, and seven were from AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) universities. Sasse was the unanimous choice of the UF Search Committee.” “This is right for the University of Florida, right for the state of Florida and right for the Sasse family,” said Rahul Patel, chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “Ben brings intellectual curiosity, a belief in the power and potential of American universities, and an unmatched track record of leadership spanning higher education, government and the private sector.”In response to concerns about Sasse’s voting record on LGBTQ issues, Patel told The Alligator on October 6, “Like every senator, Ben's job was to vote yes or no on legislation on behalf of his state.”Patel said, “He did that job. But that's not this job. He is putting aside politics and coming back to academia to lead us through this exciting new era.” Next StepsSasse is scheduled to be interviewed by the University’s Board of Trustees on November 1, at 10 a.m., in Emerson Hall. The event will be livestreamed.

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