Bard College President Leon Botstein to Retire Amid Epstein Relationship Scrutiny

Leon Botstein, the longtime president of Bard College, announced his retirement effective at the end of June, months after it emerged that his ties to Jeffrey Epstein ran deeper than previously disclosed. Botstein, 79, who has led the small liberal arts college for 50 years, revealed in an email that he delayed announcing his retirement until an independent review of his relationship with Epstein was completed.

While Botstein has never been accused of involvement in Epstein’s horrific crimes, newly released documents from the U.S. Justice Department show multiple meetings between the two, including instances where Epstein arrived at Bard by helicopter. Botstein invited Epstein as a guest to the 2013 graduation and proposed meeting him for an opera performance. He also maintained friendly email exchanges with Epstein, including one in 2018 expressing concern for Epstein’s well-being shortly after fresh details of Epstein’s criminal prosecution became public.

Financially, Epstein funneled $150,000 to Botstein in 2016, which Botstein claims he donated to the college. Previously, Botstein downplayed any personal connection, insisting his interactions with Epstein were strictly fundraising-related.

Bard’s trustees commissioned the law firm WilmerHale to conduct an independent review of the communications between Botstein and Epstein. The review concluded Botstein did not break any laws but criticized his leadership decisions during the relationship. It highlighted that Botstein was not fully truthful in public statements about the nature of his ties to Epstein.

Notably, Botstein dismissed concerns from senior faculty about engaging with Epstein, rationalizing that a convicted sex offender could be presumed rehabilitated like any other criminal. He famously argued that Bard’s financial needs justified accepting Epstein’s money, stating, “I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work.”

The Bard Board of Trustees acknowledged Botstein’s transformative impact on the college but emphasized the seriousness of the recent revelations. They announced that funds linked to Epstein will now be redirected to organizations supporting survivors of sexual harm.

Bard’s media relations office praised Botstein as a visionary leader who shaped the institution’s global reputation. However, this saga exposes the troubling willingness of some elite institutions to overlook moral reckoning in favor of financial gain—an all-too-familiar pattern in the Epstein saga and beyond.