The public universities of Florida were exempted from the state's sunshine laws, so no one knew that Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) was the only person among the final candidates to take over the Florida University system.
In February, the state Senate voted to exempt the university system from requirements under the Florida transparency laws that originally allowed the state's citizens to see the applicants for positions as university presidents.
Florida students made it clear on Monday afternoon that they wanted nothing to do with the Nebraska politician.
Sasse announced he was retiring from the Senate last week, only for the Florida newspapers to reveal the reason was he could pick up a new gig.
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As he spoke at a Monday forum with students, but was forced to talk over the loud shouting of students protesting him outside the room. Students don't want Sasse. Chants echoed through the hallways, "hey, hey, ho, ho, Ben Sasse has got to go!"
Students held up signs and an LGBTQ pride flag. Students take issue with his homophobia and opposition to same-sex marriage. The issue has become a hot-button for Florida politics after Gov. Ron DeSantis passed the so-called "don't say gay" bill.
Sasse said that he welcomed the protesters in their constitutionally protected right to protest him.
See the videos below or at this link.
\u201cOutside Sen. Ben Sasse\u2019s moderated forum to meet with students, hundreds have gathered protesting Sasse as the sole finalist in UF\u2019s presidential search, citing his previous public statements on same-sex marriage and the search sealed from the public among reasons.\u201d— Divya Kumar (@Divya Kumar) 1665429294
\u201cBen Sasse trying to talk over student protestors outside. Sasse was selected behind closed doors since legislature took these decisions out of sunshine this year.\u201d— Daniel Uhlfelder (@Daniel Uhlfelder) 1665431118
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