Leftist professors take to Twitter to condemn Ben Sasse recommendation

Leftist professors took to Twitter to condemn the potential appointment of Republican Ben Sasse as the next University of Florida president.

Opposition to Sasse’s nomination did not just come from inside UF.

In response to the University of Florida’s (UF) Search Committee’s decision to recommend Republican Senator Ben Sasse as the next university President, leftist professors took to Twitter to condemn the decision. 

Arina Pismenny, an assistant instructional professor of philosophy at UF, retweeted an image of a student protest. She added a caption stating that Ben Sasse “does not represent (UF’s) values” and that “(o)ur community does (not) want him.” 



Stephen Mulkey, a lecturer on the topics of sustainability science, climate science, and environmental politics, tweeted a thread criticizing Sasse’s nomination. Mulkey stated that “(Sasse’s) previous political track record cannot be separated from expectations of his performance as president” and wondered “(d)id the search otherwise fail? Who were the other applicants and what was their track record?”



Opposition to Sasse’s nomination did not just come from inside UF. 

Johanna Mellis, an assistant professor in the history department of Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, took to Twitter to laud students for “trolling... the Q&A box” for Sasse’s forum. 



Erik Loomis, a professor in the history department and a director of graduate studies at the University of Rhode Island, retweeted a Washington Post article titled “Sen. Ben Sasse named sole finalist for University of Florida presidency. 



Janet Frick, a professor in the behavioral and brain sciences program at the University of Georgia, retweeted screenshots of Sasse’s dissertation abstract, adding the caption “I think we need to talk about Dr. Ben Sasse’s 2004 dissertation a bit” coupled with two concerned looking emojis.



Sasse’s dissertation was titled “The Anti-Madalyn Majority: Secular Left, Religious Right, and the Rise of Reagan’s America,” “Madalyn” referencing school prayer opponent Madalyn Murray O’Hair, screenshots show. 

Campus Reform has reached out to all individuals and organizations mentioned for comment and will update accordingly.