Madison, Wis. (AP) – Fired University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman told The Associated Press in his first interview since being fired Wednesday that he was “blindsided” by the move but has no hard feelings and is unlikely to sue.
After about 30 minutes of closed-door deliberations, the Board of Regents fired Rothman in a unanimous vote Tuesday night. The regents did not give a reason for firing Rothman, who had been on the job for less than four years.
“Absolutely I was blindsided,” Rothman told the AP. He said the reason for the dismissal was not disclosed.
“I really don’t know,” Rothman said. “I asked the reason. They were unable to give any expression.”
But Rothman, who took the job in 2022 after serving as president and CEO of a Milwaukee-based law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers, said he is unlikely to file a lawsuit over his firing.
“We’ll have to see how the situation develops,” Rothman said. “I don’t think I’m likely to go in that direction. I’m not that.”
The AP was the first to report on April 2 that the regents had asked Rothman, 66, to retire or resign or face dismissal. Rothman said Wednesday that he considered retiring, but because the regents didn’t give him a reason, he decided against it.
Regents Chair Amy Bogost said in a statement before the firing that the decision was “about the future” of the 13-university system, including the flagship Madison campus, which educates about 165,000 students.
“Wisconsin’s universities must be led with a clear vision to protect and strengthen our flagship, support our broader universities and ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of our students, workforce and communities in all 72 counties,” Bogost said.
He did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday.
Rothman did not criticize any regents by name, but he expressed frustration with the board in general.
He said, ‘The manager should be able to give clarity to the management team for performance. “There aren’t 18 different voices with different ideas and pet projects. There has to be board leadership that is able to consolidate that, build consensus and provide clear direction.”
Rothman said his performance objectives weren’t even discussed in his last review in August, which he said was “surprising.”
Rothman spent his time as president lobbying Republican legislators to increase state aid for the system in the face of federal cuts, navigating free speech issues surrounding pro-Palestinian protests, and dealing with enrollment shortages that forced the closure of eight branch campuses. Under his leadership, overall enrollment in the system has remained stable.
Rothman brokered a deal with Republicans in 2023 that called for a freeze on diversity hires and created a position at UW-Madison focused on the conservative idea that the Legislature would release money for UW employee raises and tens of millions of dollars for construction projects across the system.
Rothman said Wednesday that he didn’t know if any of those specific issues contributed to his firing, but acknowledged that they could have.
“When you come to affect change and you try to move an organization forward, you have to make tough decisions,” Rothman said. “And when you make tough decisions, you might disappoint some people.”
Sen. Patrick Testin, the Republican president of the Wisconsin state Senate, called Rothman’s firing “a clear partisan act.”
A state Senate committee that oversees higher education has scheduled hearings Thursday for 10 regents whose appointments have yet to be confirmed by Evers. Testine called on the Senate to reject all 10, meaning they could no longer serve as regents.
Rothman said he’s not going to speculate on why he was let go.
“I’m disappointed by the board’s actions, but I’m not angry,” he said. “This is not about retribution. I’m concerned about the future of Wisconsin universities.”
