Posted on 04/03/2026 3:23:21 AM PDT by Libloather
The defiant president of the University of Wisconsin system has resisted calls for his resignation, risking expulsion, but he’s been given no reason for his impending termination.
Jay Rothman, the head of the public Badger State higher-education network since 2022, shot back at the board of regents last month for him to resign or retire from the post after a “unidentified majority” had lost confidence in his leadership.
The former chairman and CEO for Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner LLP rejected the board’s threat that they were “prepared to terminate my employment despite all that has been accomplished,” he said in a March 26 letter, obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Rothman claimed that the board never gave him any “articulate reasons” for the perceived loss of confidence and didn’t provide explanations for its determination.
“It also appears that whatever conclusions were reached, the concerns were vetted without the benefit of any recent in-person or even virtual meeting of the entire board,” Rothman wrote.
The board held a private emergency meeting on Wednesday night to discuss personal matters, seemingly related to Rothman’s future at the helm of the 13-campus, 164,600-student institution.
“The Board is responsible for the leadership of the Universities of Wisconsin and is having discussions about its future,” Board President Amy Bogost told the outlet, declining to discuss personal issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
It is unclear whether the board can fire the president without cause.
What to know about attempts to force out the Universities of Wisconsin president
https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/university-wisconsin-president-jay-rothman-fire-resign-i82335
Who appoints the board of Regents? Can the Wisconsin legislature force THEM out?
There are two questions here.
What are the underlying issues; is the push coming from the left or right, or is some other issue involved?
Secondly, why now? Has there been a recent shift in the membership of the Board of Regents?
It may come down to - is Jay old & white? That answer is yes.
Considering how leftist universities have become, likely he held some position to the right of Stalin on an issue and the left, in their love is love and hate has no home here, loving way, is calling for his blood and destroying his life.
yep.. he dindu nuffin
He’s simply not up to the radical left standards demanded by today’s crop of students.
Seems like a reasonable guy. Probably not "woke" enough.
It just seems really odd that unknown persons can vote him out for unknown reasons. Fits in with the leftist M.O., however.
The Trial - Franz Kafka
Jay Rothman is likely liberal, and a lawyer, but not a nut-case. He came in, made tough decisions regarding closing satellite campus’, given declining enrollment, shored up the UW system finances, and came to an agreement with the state legislature regarding DEI policies.
I love that he is resisting the board’s efforts to force him to resign. Let the board completely articulate their case. They will likely make themselves look like the complete fools that they are.
Rothman is an attorney. He likely knows the rules and procedures better than any predecessor, and is willing to fight.
Not being a resident of that state, nevertheless I am curious about the real reasons behind the proposed firing. I never heard any of the reasons behind this & what group is behind it. That much should tell at least part of the story.
It just seems really odd that unknown persons can vote him out for unknown reasons. Fits in with the leftist M.O., however.
It is the Univerity system’s board of directors, not some random people. And yes, the President would serve at the pleasure of the board.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.