Monterey resident and Wesleyan University president wins prestigious PEN America’s Courage Award - The Berkshire Edge

‘Subterfuge’: Univ President Calls Trump’s ‘Anti Anti-Semitism’ Reason for College Crackdown ‘Bogus’

Wesleyan University President Michael Roth blasted the Trump administration’s justification for its crackdown on elite universities Friday, calling its stated concern over antisemitism a “bogus” political maneuver to assert control over education. Roth, the first Jewish president of Wesleyan, made the remarks during an interview on CNN’s OutFront. Guest host Erica Hill questioned him about the administration’s stated rationale for actions taken …

Monterey resident and Wesleyan University president wins prestigious PEN America’s Courage Award - The Berkshire Edge

New York City — Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., and part-time resident of Monterey, has been awarded the 2025 PEN Courage/Benenson award for “standing up to government assaults on higher education as well as for his commitment to academic freedom.” PEN America, a New York-based nonprofit literary organization founded in 1922, seeks to promote freedom of expression and human rights. Roth has been outspoken on …