Epstein Scandal Shakes Bard College as President Botstein Steps Down Amid Deep Ties

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to unravel, dragging higher education institutions into the spotlight for their connections to the disgraced financier. Bard College’s long-serving president, Leon Botstein, announced his retirement after a damning investigation found he repeatedly minimized his ties to Epstein. The revelations show Botstein visited Epstein’s New York townhouse about 25 times and spent two days on Epstein’s private island, Little St. James. Epstein himself attended Bard events accompanied by women later identified as victims of his sex trafficking ring.

Botstein’s attempts to frame his relationship as merely fundraising were exposed as disingenuous. The investigation revealed Epstein was invited to stay on Bard’s campus multiple times and that Botstein maintained contact with Epstein up until his 2019 death. The report bluntly states Botstein was “not fully accurate” in describing his connection to Epstein.

While Epstein’s influence has mostly been associated with large research universities, Bard’s case shows his reach extended into smaller colleges. Across the country, students and faculty are demanding institutions sever ties with Epstein’s enablers. Billionaires like Howard Lutnick, Steve Tisch, and Leslie Wexner—each linked to Epstein—have buildings named after them at Haverford College, Tufts University, Ohio State, and Harvard. Despite mounting pressure, none of these schools have yet removed Epstein-linked names.

Epstein’s financial web also ensnared professors at Yale, MIT, Duke, Columbia, and Harvard, where he donated millions and funded research projects. Harvard alone disclosed receiving $9.1 million from Epstein before his conviction. Faculty members visiting Epstein’s homes and traveling on his private plane further illustrate the depth of his infiltration into elite academia.

Bard College’s investigation found no substantial evidence of Epstein ties among its faculty, but the Botstein scandal highlights the urgent need for transparency and accountability. Epstein’s legacy is not just about his crimes, but about the powerful networks that enabled and ignored them—including those in the ivory towers of higher education.

As the Department of Justice continues to release details, the question remains: how many more institutions will be forced to confront their complicity in Epstein’s corrupt empire? For now, Bard’s reckoning is a stark reminder that no corner of power is immune.