Botstein says he will step down after college review of Epstein ties
Leon Botstein, the longtime president of Bard College, said Friday that he plans to retire at the end of June, following renewed scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and an independent review commissioned by the school. In an email provided to The Associated Press by Bard, the president said he had delayed announcing his retirement publicly until the review was completed.
Botstein, 79, said in the note that he would remain at Bard after his departure, including work as a teacher and musician. Bard described the retirement decision as a response to “concerns raised in recent months,” which were characterized by the board as serious and deeply felt.
Bard’s board of trustees enlisted the law firm WilmerHale to conduct an outside review of communications between Botstein and Epstein. A summary of that review, provided to the college community, said the president did not do anything illegal, but the report added that some decisions during the relationship reflected on Botstein’s leadership of Bard.
The review also criticized the way Botstein described the relationship in public statements and to members of the Bard community. It said his statements “minimized and was not fully accurate in describing his relationship with Epstein,” according to the summary.
AP reported that documents released this year by the U.S. Justice Department showed Botstein and Epstein met on multiple occasions, including Epstein sometimes arriving at Bard by helicopter. The documents and earlier reporting described Botstein as asking Epstein to be a guest at the 2013 graduation ceremonies and suggesting they meet for an opera performance.
The reporting also said Botstein had reached out to Epstein weeks after The Miami Herald reported new details about Epstein’s criminal prosecution in 2018, writing: “I want you to know that I hope you are holding up as well as can be expected.” In other emails, AP reported that Botstein referred to a “friendship” with Epstein.
Bard’s review addressed the president’s broader approach to the relationship after Epstein’s conviction. It said Botstein disagreed with a senior faculty member who felt Bard should not engage with Epstein, and that Botstein concluded the president “relied on his view that a person convicted of crimes involving sex with a minor—‘an ordinary sex offender’, in his words—could be presumed to be rehabilitated in the same way that any other convicted person should.”
The review further attributed to Botstein a fundraising-centered rationale, saying his view was, “I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work.” Bard’s board, in a separate message, said the concerns were serious and that funds associated with Epstein would be directed to organizations that support survivors of sexual harm.
Bard’s media relations office issued a statement calling Botstein “a transformative leader” whose “vision and unwavering commitment” shaped the college into a “world-class educational institution,” according to AP. Botstein was not accused of involvement in Epstein’s exploitation and abuse of girls and women, AP reported, but his ties were scrutinized after it emerged he maintained friendly relationships with Epstein despite Epstein’s status as a convicted sex offender.