Fired Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman tells AP he was 'blindsided' by his ouster

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Fired Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman told The Associated Press connected Wednesday successful his archetypal interrogation since the ouster that helium was “blindsided” by the determination but has nary hard feelings and is improbable to sue.

Rothman was fired connected Tuesday nighttime successful a unanimous ballot by the committee of regents pursuing a astir 30-minute closed-door discussion. Regents person not fixed a crushed for firing Rothman, who was successful the occupation for conscionable nether 4 years.

“Absolutely I was blindsided,” Rothman told the AP. He said helium has inactive not been fixed a crushed for his firing.

“I truly don’t know,” Rothman said. “I asked for reasons why. They were not capable to articulate any.”

But Rothman, who came to the occupation successful 2022 aft serving arsenic seat and CEO of a Milwaukee-based instrumentality steadfast with much than 1,000 attorneys, said helium is improbable to record a suit implicit his firing.

“We’ll person to spot however circumstances develop,” Rothman said. “I don’t deliberation it’s apt that I would spell successful that direction. That’s not who I am.”

The AP was the archetypal to study connected April 2 that the regents had asked Rothman to discontinue oregon resign oregon look being fired. Rothman said connected Wednesday that helium considered retiring, but since regents gave him nary reason, helium decided against it.

Regent President Amy Bogost said successful a connection earlier the firing that the determination was “about the future” of the 13-university system, including the flagship Madison campus, that educates astir 165,000 students.

“The Universities of Wisconsin indispensable beryllium led with a wide imaginativeness that some protects and strengthens our flagship, supports our broad universities and ensures we are gathering the evolving needs of our students, workforce and communities crossed each 72 counties,” Bogost said.

Sen. Patrick Testin, the Republican president of the Wisconsin authorities Senate, called Rothman’s firing a “blatant partisan hatchet job.”

But Rothman said helium wasn’t going to speculate connected wherefore helium was chopped loose.

“I’ve asked aggregate times for a reason,” Rothman said. “I person not gotten one.”

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