Bard College President Leon Botstein to Retire Amid Epstein Relationship Scrutiny

Leon Botstein, the longtime president of Bard College, announced he will retire at the end of June, months after documents revealed a far closer relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than previously acknowledged. Botstein, 79, who has led the small liberal arts college in New York for 50 years, did not address the Epstein controversy directly in his retirement announcement, instead noting he waited for an independent review to conclude.

The review, conducted by law firm WilmerHale at the behest of Bard’s trustees, found no illegal activity by Botstein but sharply criticized his leadership decisions related to Epstein. According to the report, Botstein minimized and was not fully truthful about the extent of his interactions with Epstein, a convicted sex offender notorious for exploiting minors.

Documents released by the U.S. Justice Department showed Epstein visited Bard multiple times, sometimes by helicopter, and that Botstein invited Epstein to the 2013 graduation and suggested meeting at an opera. Botstein also reached out to Epstein after a 2018 Miami Herald report on Epstein’s criminal case, expressing concern for his well-being and referring to their “friendship” in emails.

Epstein donated $150,000 to Bard in 2016, funds Botstein said he passed on to the college. Yet Botstein previously denied a personal connection, claiming their contact was strictly fundraising-related. The review disputes this, highlighting Botstein’s dismissive attitude toward faculty concerns about associating with Epstein. Botstein reportedly described Epstein as “an ordinary sex offender” who should be presumed rehabilitated like any other convict and famously said, “I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work.”

Bard’s Board of Trustees acknowledged Botstein’s transformative impact on the college but called the recent concerns “serious and deeply felt.” The board pledged to redirect Epstein-linked funds to organizations supporting survivors of sexual harm.

Botstein will remain on Bard’s faculty as a teacher and musician, but his retirement marks a significant reckoning for an institution long led by a figure now entangled in the web of Epstein’s influence. This episode underscores how Epstein’s reach extended into respected academic circles, raising urgent questions about accountability and the cost of turning a blind eye to abuse in exchange for funding.