The board of Wisconsin’s public university system voted unanimously Tuesday to remove President Jay Rothman as the system's leader, which comes after he faced pushback for working with the Republican-led state legislature and ignored calls to resign. 

Rothman faced scrutiny from the Board of Regents, students and faculty after he agreed to freeze diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions in 2023, according to the New York Times.

The 17-member board did not give specific reasons for its decision to oust Rothman, but said it "lost confidence in President Rothman’s ability to lead the UWs moving forward." 

UW Vice President for University Relations Chris Patton will replace Rothman in an acting capacity until a new president is selected. 

"The Board is grateful for President Rothman’s service and recognizes the meaningful work undertaken during his tenure," the board said in a statement. "Under his leadership, the Universities of Wisconsin took important and often difficult steps to address longstanding structural deficits, putting individual universities on sounder financial footing for the future. 

"He worked hard to bring the best to the campuses, students, faculty, and staff," the statement continued. "Those efforts and that dedication are acknowledged and appreciated."

The board said that it conducted an annual performance review of Rothman and did not appear satisfied with the results.

"At a time of profound change in higher education, this decision is about the future," the board said Monday. "The Universities of Wisconsin must be led with a clear vision that both protects and strengthens our flagship, supports our comprehensive universities, and ensures we are meeting the evolving needs of our students, workforce, and communities."

The board said further details on its plan for the university's systems will be released in the coming weeks.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.