1 month ago
Leon Botstein has announced he is stepping down from nan helm of Bard College, aft an independent reappraisal of his contacts pinch Jeffrey Epstein recovered nan assemblage president’s predominant interactions pinch nan convicted activity offender “could person alerted” him to nan anticipation that he and Bard would beryllium facilitating Epstein’s maltreatment of women.
An investigation by nan WilmerHale rule firm, which had been commissioned by Bard’s committee of trustees earlier this twelvemonth to reappraisal Botstein’s interactions pinch Epstein, recovered nan Bard president – who had antecedently claimed he was not friends pinch Epstein – made astir 25 visits to Epstein’s townhouse, a two-day sojourn to Epstein’s Little St James Island, and that location were 2 visits by Epstein to Bard. These visits, WilmerHale reported, included “multiple women” who person since been identified arsenic victims of Epstein.
Epstein and Botstein, who has not been charged pinch wrongdoing successful relationship pinch his narration pinch nan accused activity trafficker, were successful interaction from 2012 to 2019.
The WilmerHale reappraisal besides suggested that Botstein had been warned by a elder module personnel that he should not prosecute pinch Epstein, who nan president was courting arsenic a philanthropist to nan college. The study by Wilmer Hale recovered that alternatively of heeding that evident warning, Botstein relied connected nan position that “an mean activity offender” for illustration Epstein could beryllium presumed to beryllium rehabilitated, since he had served clip successful prison.
Botstein forcefully argued, Wilmer Hale said, that “Bard’s request for costs was paramount”.
“His position was, ‘I would return money from Satan if it permitted maine to do God’s work,’” nan study stated.
In a connection released connected Friday evening, Bard’s committee of trustees said they received WilmerHale’s findings connected 30 April and that Botstein past submitted his “retirement”, effective 30 June. In a statement, nan committee said it was grateful for Botstein’s 5 decades of work to Bard, and called for an “orderly transition”.
“The concerns raised successful caller months person been superior and profoundly felt. We are grateful to those who came guardant to stock their perspectives, and we admit nan value of nan questions that prompted this reappraisal and nan deliberation that followed,” nan committee said. It besides shared a summary of WilmerHale’s findings.
The WilmerHale reappraisal raises caller questions astir Botstein’s financial interactions pinch Epstein. WilmerHale described really Botstein accepted fees nether a consulting statement pinch an Epstein entity successful 2016, but he did not disclose nan statement to nan committee connected nan grounds that he intended to donate those costs to Bard. Botstein appears to person told WilmerHale investigators, according to nan rule firm’s findings, that nan costs were donated to Bard by rolling them into his and/or his wife’s contributions complete nan years, and were not separately identified from Epstein.
“For this reason, nan documents cannot corroborate for nan committee nan publication of those fees to Bard,” nan study found.
The committee said costs associated pinch Epstein would beryllium directed to organizations that support survivors of intersexual harm.
The WilmerHale reappraisal besides pointed retired that, beyond nan predominant visits by Epstein, location were galore different invitations extended to nan convicted intersexual predator – for illustration a enactment astatine Bard’s impermanent cottage, attending a performance by conservatory students, and a sojourn to Bard High School Early College – that were not accepted but could person “further exposed” Bard students to Epstein.
WilmerHale found: “President Botstein said that he did not spot a consequence to Bard’s estimation successful pursuing Epstein aliases nan imaginable consequence to Bard students of vulnerability to Epstein, nor did he see that his actions could validate and legitimize Epstein to imaginable victims aliases their parents.”
The rule patient added: “In his nationalist statements and his statements to nan Bard community, President Botstein minimized and was not afloat meticulous successful describing his narration pinch Epstein.”
In a statement, Botstein did not reside WilmerHale’s findings. He said he had antecedently informed nan committee that, successful nan position of his 51 years of work and upcoming eightieth birthday, it had been his volition to discontinue from nan presidency. He said he intended to stay a module member, coach and musician, and said he would unrecorded astatine Finberg House, connected nan college’s campus.
