Modesto Maidique, the ex-president of Florida International University, has  let our community down. Maidique hosted a fundraiser at $50,000 a plate for Donald Trump on July 26th in which many of Trump’s Florida surrogates such as Rick Scott, Pepe Fanjul Sr, and Rep. Carlos Trujillo were present. In a school where over 70% of the students are Hispanic, should the main campus of the school really be named after a man who supports a candidate for president who is a bigot, says disparaging things about Hispanic and other minorities and will push policies that would adversely affect a majority of its student population?

Modesto Maidique has undeniably done good work for FIU and no one will deny that, but that does not mean that he gets a blank moral check when his name is associated with a pillar of our community. His lack of good judgement has smeared the University and we call on FIU to change the name of the University through this petition.

It is discouraging and depressing that a prominent actor in the field of education, who has been part of a institution that has contributed so much for the advancement of the Hispanic community in South Florida, is now an advocate of a populist demagogue who is racist, ignorant and vulgar. Never in the history of this country has a candidate known less or been less prepared to be president of the United States. The irresponsibility, lack of political courage, and bad judgement by Modesto Maidique deserves our total repudiation.