Sen. Ben Sasse welcomed to Univ. of Florida by protests over his likely appointment as school president

Outgoing Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse (R) arrived for a visit at the University of Florida’s Gainesville campus on Monday by students protesting the likely appointment of Sasse as new president of the university.

The Republican senator reportedly plans on resigning from his congressional seat before the end of the year in order to take on the role at University of Florida. He was the only candidate floated by the school’s presidential search committee for the position, which is being vacated by current president Kent Fuchs, who plans to leave in 2023.

According to the university’s newspaper, the Independent Florida Alligator, Sasse was the only finalist named by the committee after sifting through over 700 candidates since March.

After Sasse ended one of three addresses he was scheduled to give at the campus on Monday, student protesters filed into the ballroom where had spoken to demonstrate their displeasure at the impending appointment of Sasse, who has previously come under fire for not supporting gay marriage.

When the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage at the federal level in 2015, Sasse put out an official statement calling the decision a “disappointment.”

“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,” Sasse wrote. “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.”

The protesters expressed their own disappointment over the idea of appointing Sasse the school’s president.

“Many are concerned with Sasse’s past comments that show he is not in favor of same-sex marriage and abortion. When it comes to a community as diverse as UF, students overall don’t feel he is a good fit,” a U of F senior told CNN on Monday. “They consider him a political appointee essentially. They believe it’s a bad look on the board of trustees that named him the sole finalist out of 700 candidates.”