Ousted Wisconsin university system president says regents gave no reason
Jay Rothman told the Associated Press he was surprised by his firing but is unlikely to sue the Universities of Wisconsin regents.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Jay Rothman, the fired president of the Universities of Wisconsin, said Wednesday that regents still have not told him why they removed him from the job. The move leaves new uncertainty at a 13-university public system that includes the Madison flagship and serves about 165,000 students, according to the Associated Press.
Rothman told the AP in his first interview since the vote that he was “blindsided” by the board’s action. He said he asked regents to explain the decision but did not receive a clear answer.
The Board of Regents fired Rothman on Tuesday night in a unanimous vote after a closed-door discussion that lasted about 30 minutes, the AP reported. Rothman had led the system for just under four years.
Rothman, 66, came to the post in 2022 after serving as chair and chief executive of a Milwaukee-based law firm with more than 1,000 attorneys, according to the AP. He said Wednesday that a lawsuit over his removal is unlikely, though he did not rule out any response as circumstances develop.
The AP reported April 2 that regents had asked Rothman to retire or resign or face dismissal. Rothman told the AP he considered retirement but chose against it because the board did not give him a reason.
Regent President Amy Bogost said in a statement before the firing that the decision concerned the system’s future. Bogost said the Universities of Wisconsin need leadership with a clear vision to protect and strengthen UW-Madison, support the system’s other universities and meet needs across Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
Bogost did not immediately respond Wednesday to an AP request for comment.
Rothman did not single out any regent by name in his interview. He told the AP that a functional board must give management clear direction rather than operate through competing priorities, and he said his performance objectives were not discussed during his most recent review in August.
During Rothman’s tenure, the system dealt with several politically charged and financial pressures, according to the AP. Rothman pushed Republican lawmakers for more state aid as federal funding cuts weighed on the system, addressed free speech disputes tied to pro-Palestinian protests and faced falling enrollment that forced the closure of eight branch campuses.
The AP reported that overall enrollment across the Universities of Wisconsin remained steady while Rothman was president.
Rothman also reached a 2023 agreement with Republican lawmakers that froze diversity hiring and created a UW-Madison position focused on conservative thought, according to the AP. In return, the Legislature released money for employee raises and tens of millions of dollars for construction projects across the system.
Rothman told the AP he did not know whether any of those issues played a role in his dismissal, though he acknowledged they could have contributed. He said leaders who try to make changes can anger people when difficult decisions follow.
Wisconsin Senate President Patrick Testin, a Republican, called Rothman’s firing a “blatant partisan hatchet job,” according to the AP. The Senate higher education committee scheduled a Thursday hearing for 10 regents appointed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers whose nominations have not yet been confirmed.
Testin called for the Senate to reject all 10 nominees, which would end their service as regents, the AP reported.
Rothman told the AP he would not speculate about the reason for his firing. He said he was disappointed but not angry, and said his concern was the future of the Universities of Wisconsin.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.