In his first appearance as a University of West Florida Board of Trustees member, Trustee Zach Smith wasted no time making his presence felt at the May 8 board meeting. Appointed just one day prior, Smith launched into a series of pointed questions about past university programming that created one of the meeting’s most contentious exchanges.
- Background: Smith has been an adjunct political science professor since 2020. Gov. DeSantis’ staff have been compiling a list of “offenses” that they wanted to hit UWF President Dr. Martha Saunders for weeks, but they wanted to get past the confirmation hearings for the new trustees.
A Confrontational Introduction
Unlike other new board members who eased into their roles, Smith took a more direct approach, stating: “I’ll be frank with you, some of the things I’ve seen are very concerning to me.”
He proceeded to question President Martha Saunders about specific university-sponsored events and programming that he found problematic.
- “I want to flag some of the, just a few of the specific concerning things I’ve seen,” Smith said. “I wanted to ask whether you thought these specific actions by the university were appropriate, and then if you don’t think they’re appropriate, what safeguards are in place to make sure that they don’t happen again?”
“Drag Me to Hell”
Smith’s first line of questioning focused on a 2019 drag show co-sponsored by the university:
- “One of the ones I saw was a drag show that the university co-sponsored called ‘Drag Me to Hell.’ It was co-sponsored officially by the university,” Smith said. “I’m curious to know, was that mandated by anyone? Or why did the university think it was appropriate to sponsor a show, a drag show entitled ‘Drag Me to Hell’ that I think certainly religious students and others on campus might find offensive.”
When President Saunders indicated she was unfamiliar with the event and requested more information, Smith noted it was sponsored by the Office of Inclusion in October 2019 and was still promoted on the university’s social media with hashtags like #uwfrespect and #inclusion.
- “My concern is if the goal was to foster a community of respect and inclusion, it’s hard to see how that would be promoted by again, having a program called ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ because I certainly find that offensive. And I think many in our community likely would as well,” Smith stated.
Questioning Library Programming and Reading Recommendations
Smith then shifted to question the university’s library programming, specifically regarding the promotion of certain books:
- “University libraries were promoting programming. And this was in 2023. They were promoting or familiar with Ibram X. Kendi and his book, ‘How to Be an Anti-Racist,'” Smith said. “Ebra X. Kendi, his book, ‘How to Be an Anti-Racist,’ basically puts forward the idea that the only way to remedy past discrimination is to engage in present discrimination and firmly called for treating people differently based on their race.”
Smith alleged that UWF librarians had publicized and recommended this book, even giving an interview to WUWF promoting it. He pressed Saunders on what safeguards were in place to prevent “similar types of materials” from being “uncritically promoted to students.”
- When Saunders mentioned the university’s guidance for reviewing activities, Smith responded: “I appreciate that answer Dr. Saunders, but again, I’ll be frank, that doesn’t give me much comfort that this type of material will not again be promoted to students uncritically.”
The Alicia Garza Controversy
Smith saved his most pointed criticism for the university’s promotion of civil rights activist Alicia Garza:
- “Do you think it’s a wise idea to uncritically promote and laude a well-known Marxist to students without any, again, countervailing views being presented for students to examine?” Smith asked.
He cited social media posts from 2019 where the university described Garza as “a queer civil rights activist who has led local and national marches for equality against issues involving health, student rights, police brutality, and transgender visibility.”
Smith claimed that “a quick Google search” would have revealed what he called “problematic views,” citing a quote from a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement who described herself and Garza as “trained Marxists.”
- I find the “quick Google search” reference ironic. During their Senate confirmation hearings, Trustees Chris Young and Paul Bailey swore under oath that they were completely unaware of former Trustee Scott Yenor’s anti-women remarks. However, they could have found them had they done a “quick Google search.”
When Smith asked if the university would make such a social media post today, President Saunders directly answered “No.” When he pressed further about why the university made the post in 2019, Saunders simply replied, “I don’t know.”
Trustee Scott Calls Out Smith
Smith’s questioning drew a sharp rebuke from Trustee Alonzie Scott, who accused Smith of ambushing the president:
- “I see one trustee ambush our president. I’m not very happy about that Trustee Zach Smith at all,” Scott said. “Essentially what I see you doing, I’ve read your book, ‘Rogue Prosecutors and How Radical Stories Lawyers are Destroying American Communities.’ I can tell you, you’re about as radical as I’ve seen in any place I’ve ever been.”
Scott further defended students’ right to hold events like drag shows: “If they decide to have a drag show, I’m okay with that. If you have a point of that you don’t want to be involved or think that’s something that needs to be happening, then you don’t have to go.”
- Trustee Susan James also expressed concern about the direction of the meeting, stating she was “pretty unsettled by the way this direction is going” and urging the board to return to discussing grant compliance.
Looking Forward
Despite the heated exchange, Smith and Saunders ended on a somewhat conciliatory note, with Saunders acknowledging Smith’s suggestion that the university could do more to present countervailing views: “That’s good advice. And I do too [look forward to continuing the conversation].”
- Smith requested additional information about the 2019 “Kaleidoscope Conference” held at UWF, including details about its funding and organization, which Saunders agreed to provide.
Smith’s focus on past programming related to social justice themes, particularly from before recent legislative changes, raises questions about how deeply trustees might scrutinize university activities that occurred under different state guidelines and expectations.