Sen. Rob Hutton expressed his displeasure Thursday after members of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents could not produce any documentation of the reasons they fired President Jay Rothman.
Sen. Rob Hutton sharply criticized the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents on Thursday, accusing members of stonewalling lawmakers and failing to justify their abrupt decision to fire system President Jay Rothman.
Hutton, chairman of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, blasted the board during and after a hearing on the confirmation of 10 regent nominees appointed by Gov. Tony Evers. Only two regents—Board President Amy Bogost Blumenfeld and member Tim Nixon—showed up to defend the board’s unanimous vote Tuesday to oust Rothman, who had led the system since 2022.
“I was dismayed that they were unable to provide any documentation whatsoever—not so much as a meeting note—on the performance reviews that they repeatedly cited as leading to Rothman’s termination,” Hutton said in a statement released after the hearing. “Even the smallest of private businesses must keep extensive documentation on similar personnel matters.”
Hutton expressed disappointment that the other eight nominees skipped the hearing. He questioned the board’s long-standing reputation as defenders of the status quo, casting doubt on claims that Rothman blocked meaningful reforms.
“In all my years in the legislature, I have only known the Board of Regents to be guardians of the status quo, so I have my doubts that the Regents have been stonewalled in a desire to make significant reforms,” Hutton said. “I look forward to receiving specifics about the comprehensive reforms they sought that President Rothman allegedly held back.”
Hutton said the committee will review the limited testimony, demand additional records from the UW System and consider next steps, which could include holding up confirmations or pursuing further oversight.
“While I had hoped to hear from all ten pending Regents, I appreciated the opportunity to hear from Regents Amy Bogost Blumenfeld and Tim Nixon about the Board’s decision to fire President Rothman and the process used in reaching that decision,” Hutton added. “Our committee will evaluate what we heard today and what we didn’t hear, seek out more information from UW System that the Regents told the committee is available, and decide what further actions are appropriate.”
