Professors defend new UW-Madison leader against GOP attacks

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A group of Wisconsin professors defended UW-Madison's new chancellor Tuesday from GOP critics who have accused her of being unabashedly liberal.

The Wisconsin chapter of the American Association of University Professors tweeted a statement saying the criticism against Jennifer Mnookin is grounded in “corrosive right-wing conspiracy theories” and that Republican threats to starve the UW System of funding if regents don't reconsider are inappropriate and embarrassing.

“These threats are beyond the pale,” the statement said. “They constitute unacceptable political interference in the administration of the UW System. ... We call on these elected officials and candidates to retract their statements and apologize.”

Mnookin is expected to field questions about the Republican criticism during a teleconference with reporters later Tuesday.

UW regents announced Monday that they had voted unanimously to hire Mnookin over four other finalists to succeed outgoing Chancellor Rebecca Blank, who is leaving at the end of the month to become president at Northwestern University.

Mnookin currently serves as dean of UCLA's law school. She'll make $750,000 annually as UW-Madison chancellor, about $132,000 more than Blank earned per year as chancellor.

Within hours of the announcement, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos issued a statement blasting the hire. He painted Mnookin as a liberal, pointing to tweets in which she voiced support for COVID-19 vaccine mandates on California campuses and critical race theory, which purports that racism is systemic in U.S. institutions. Vos also noted that Mnookin has donated to Democratic candidates and causes.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch issued a statement calling Mnookin “a woke radical” and said the hiring...