Dem education activist likens New College of Florida’s tree mascot as ‘racist’

A Florida education activist had heads scratching this week after likening a college’s new mascot — an anthropomorphized tree — to an “angry, threatening brown individual.”

Robin Williams, a teacher and president of a Democratic Public Education Caucus of Manasota, ripped the New College of Florida’s “Mighty Banyan” logo as racist in an op-ed for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The image depicts a humanized Banyan tree flexing its muscular arms while wearing a tenacious expression.

Williams said the imagery would naturally set off alarm bells for “anyone with a cursory knowledge of stereotypes.”

The arboreal offense, she argued, “depicts a tree that has been anthropomorphized to closely resemble an angry, threatening brown individual.”

The accusations come after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced the school’s board in February, contending that it had assumed an extreme progressive posture that was impeding the quality of its education.

Williams took particular aim at conservative commentator Chris Rufo, who was named to the school’s board.

She argued that the logo was “rammed through” by the outspoken “culture warrior” and Interim President Richard Corcoran over the objections of some in the school community.

Rufo lampooned Williams’ assertions in a Tuesday Twitter post.

“Advice for white libs: if you see a tree and immediately think ‘looks like a scary minority to me,’ you might be the racist,” he wrote.

The tree’s eccentric predecessor, “The Empty Set,” was officially done away with as the school’s mascot earlier this month.

“The New College spirit is the combination of a supportive community and a stunning natural landscape,” said freshman Anne Lazzara, the logo’s designer. “Both of these things, I believe, are perfectly represented in the form of a mighty Banyan tree.”

Williams shot back at Rufo’s comments in an interview with the Florida Standard, saying she found his critique “amusing.”

“As a white person, I personally did not feel comfortable drawing that conclusion myself,” she told the outlet. “In Facebook groups I use people have said, ‘Yeah, that’s a dog whistle.’ People who’ve been involved in social justice things for many years felt similarly.”