The board of Florida's only public historically Black university has chosen a lobbyist with ties to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the school's next president, alarming students, faculty and alumni who are outraged by the governor's efforts to restrict the teaching of African American history and ban public colleges from using taxpayer money on diversity programs.

The HBCU in Tallahassee hired a president who has never worked in higher ed but has ties to Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Her critics have dubbed her “MAGA Marva.”

TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University’s bitterly divided Board of Trustees on Friday selected Marva Johnson, an attorney and corporate executive, as the school’s next president, despite an outcry from alumni and students who questioned her qualifications and ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis.