https://news.yahoo.com/nebraska-senator-faces-questions-protests-212539616.html
Associated Press
Nebraska senator faces questions, protests at U of Florida
FILE - Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., listens during a confirmation hearing for
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson before the Senate Judiciary
Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Sasse is the sole finalist to become the president of the University of
Florida, the school said Thursday, and the GOP senator has indicated
that he will take the job. That means he could resign in the coming
weeks. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Mon, October 10, 2022 at 2:25 PM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse faced pointed
questions and loud protests Monday during his first visit to the
University of Florida as the lone finalist for the school's presidency.
Sasse, a Republican in his second Senate term, has drawn criticism from
some at the school in Gainesville, Florida, for his stance on same-sex
marriage and other LBGTQ issues. Others question his qualifications to
run such a sprawling school with more than 50,000 students.
The separate meetings Monday were with students, faculty and staff on
campus. During those sessions, the Gainesville Sun reported about 1,000
people yelling “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Ben Sasse has got to go” gathered and
disrupted at least one of the meetings.
“Sasse does not really believe in equality on the basis of sexual
orientation,” said Nathan Knorst, a senior at the university. “So, how
can he adequately represent the student body and faculty and UF’s core
values, which are diversity, equity and inclusion?”
Sasse, 50, was previously president of Midland University in Fremont,
Nebraska, which has just over 1,600 students. He said during one meeting
Monday when asked whether he opposes same-sex marriage that it is the
national law as ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court and that his goal
is to create a “place of respect and inclusion for all Gators,"
mentioning the Southeastern Conference school's sports mascot.
“I’ve had political positions and policy positions that represent the
views of Nebraskans. It’s a completely different job to have the job of
president of UF,” Sasse said, according to the Sun. “The president of
UF’s job is to celebrate all of what’s going on in this community, and
to be a storyteller and resource getter and salesman for it.”
Sasse also said he believes in human causes for climate change but has
not always supported federal efforts to deal with it.
Organizations that put together Monday's protest include UF College
Democrats, Young Democratic Socialists and Graduate Assistants United,
the newspaper reported.
Some students were concerned about the secretive selection process used
in selecting Sasse. A new Florida law allows universities to conduct
much of the process outside of the state’s open meetings and public
records laws.
RJ Della Salle, a UF freshman, said the closed system “ makes me feel
like my voice doesn’t matter.”
Sasse, who has also been a rare GOP critic of former President Donald
Trump, said the students have every right to protest.
“Obviously I wish they didn’t have the position they have but I strongly
support the right of people to protest and exercise their free speech
rights,” he said.
Sasse, who would resign from the Senate to take the position, was
recommended for the school's presidency by a search committee. He still
faces a vote by the school’s board of trustees and then must be
confirmed by the state board of governors.