Stuart Bell, the sole finalist for the University of Florida presidency, defended prior diversity efforts at the University of Alabama by likening them to boosting in-state enrollment and criticizing modern DEI as “segregation.” Bell’s remarks come amid conservative opposition and claims of discrimination against white students and faculty. The controversy also reflects a broader governance dispute: supporters of Bell’s critics say the Florida Board of Trustees lacked transparency in conducting a presidential search without public input. Bell’s comments follow similar backlash against Santa Ono’s prior DEI support in Michigan, which included the Florida board’s rejection. In response to state restrictions on public DEI programs, the University of Alabama reportedly deleted diversity plans from its website, ended some “diverse families” visitation efforts, suspended a Black-focused student magazine, and converted the Black Student Union office into a food pantry.