Florida’s university leaders on Tuesday blocked Santa Ono from becoming the University of Florida’s president after a weeks-long campaign against him by conservative commentators.

Longtime academic Santa Ono was rejected Tuesday for the University of Florida presidency by the state university system board amid sharp criticism from political conservatives about his past support for diversity,

Santa Ono resigned his job at the University of Michigan last month when he was named the sole finalist for the top job at the University of Florida.