CBS12 Highlights AIM Investigation in UF Presidential Search Controversy
June 22, 2026
by Mike Magnoli
Mon, June 22, 2026 at 5:03 PM| Updated Wed, June 24, 2026 at 12:50 PM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (CBS12) — The University of Florida’s Board of Trustees has named Dr. Stuart Bell as the institution’s next interim president Tuesday.
The vote was unanimous among Board of Trustees members during a Tuesday meeting where Bell’s candidacy was considered.
Bell’s selection as interim president comes after his appointment drew criticism from some conservative leaders. Bell, the former president of the University of Alabama, was the only candidate under consideration.
The scrutiny comes despite support from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who congratulated Bell in a post on X.
“Congrats to Dr. Stuart Bell on being selected by the University of Florida to be the next university president,” DeSantis wrote. “Dr. Bell did much to elevate the University of Alabama when he was the president in Tuscaloosa and I have no doubt that he will help UF reach new heights.”
However, not everyone is on board. Some conservatives called on university leaders to reject him.
Critics point to Bell’s record at the University of Alabama and question whether his stance on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, aligns with Florida’s higher education policies. Florida law prohibits public universities from using state funds for DEI programs and activities.
Adam Guillette, president of the nonprofit organization Accuracy in Media, said his group sent an undercover journalist to the University of Alabama, where Bell previously served as president.
Accuracy in Media posted a video to its YouTube channel that the organization says shows a university administrator discussing how certain DEI-related efforts continued after Alabama passed restrictions on such programs.
“Their administrator told us on a hidden camera they merely renamed these things and are continuing to do the same work,” Guillette said.
According to Accuracy in Media, the video includes discussions about student groups fundraising for drag shows and professors working to make classrooms more inclusive.
Guillette said Bell’s record should concern Florida officials overseeing the presidential search.
“We should not allow the University of Florida to revert to being just another far-left institution,” Guillette said.
Read the rest of CBS12’s article here.