(The Center Square) – Wisconsin legislators aren’t giving up on gathering more information on the firing of former Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman.
Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield, said recently that the Legislature is not done exploring the matter and make sure that the Board of Regents and university leaders are meeting their obligations to students.
“The Regents cited performance reviews and concerns about Mr. Rothman’s style, but they had no documentation for the committee and didn’t provide a single note, memo, or record to support their decision,” Hutton said in a radio address. “Even the smallest private employer has to maintain thorough records for the most routine personnel decisions. The public deserves at least that level of transparency when it comes to one of our state’s most important institutions.”
The Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges recently invited all 10 regents who were up for confirmation to a meeting with two appearing and answering questions about the vote to remove Rothman.
Republican committee members, however, did not believe the response was sufficient and did not vote on the confirmations at its April 9 meeting.
Before the vote for his removal, Rothman said that he was told to resign or be fired. He decided not to resign.
“The UW System is facing major long-term challenges that demand attention, such as declining enrollment, affordability, and the ever-changing needs of employers,” Hutton said. “Instead, this firing has damaged confidence in the institution and created many unanswered questions at this critical moment.”
