YSU’s Hiring of GOP Lawmaker Sparks Outrage Among Alumni and Donors

Youngstown State University alumni and donors are unhappy with the university’s hiring of Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, as president — with actor Ed O’Neill calling the decision “disgraceful,” reported Ideastream Public Media.

“I’ve got a doctorate from YSU — an honorary doctorate — that I’m going to give back,” O’Neill, who played football for YSU, told the news outlet.

“I don’t want it … I’m going to start calling it Trump U. And I think a lot of people feel that way.”

The Youngstown State University Foundation in a letter last week sent to YSU’s board of trustees said it “would have preferred a more inclusive process that represented the university’s students, faculty, and staff, along with its donor base, supporters, and alumni.

“During the past few days, many of these individuals have reached out to the YSU Foundation trustees to express their concerns and their reluctance to provide ongoing support moving forward.”

Johnson, who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election, is closely aligned with former President Donald Trump.

Major YSU donor Bruce Zoldan, who owns Phantom Fireworks and recently donated $5 million to the university to fund a new student center, called on the university to walk back the hiring.

“He has no background in operating anything, let alone leading an institution of faculty and students of diversified backgrounds. … It’s an insult to our valley and to the university itself,” Zoldan said.