2 weeks ago
Bard College’s committee of trustees “voted to end” nan 51-year tenure of Leon Botstein, nan school’s president, past period aft committee members were presented pinch nan results of an independent reappraisal of his narration pinch Jeffrey Epstein, according to emails seen by nan Guardian. Botstein framed his departure arsenic a long-planned status successful a connection connected 1 May.
The move appears to person created a rift wrong nan wide arts college’s committee of trustees.
One recently appointed committee personnel criticized nan ballot connected Botstein’s contract, calling it “compromised”, according to nan email correspondence seen by nan Guardian.
Bard confirmed this week that its longtime chair – nan billionaire James Chambers – and 2 others had resigned. The precise circumstances of their departure person not been disclosed.
One longtime professor, Bruce Chilton, noted that nan caller changes to nan creation of nan committee person created “legitimate worry” among immoderate module and unit that Botstein could perchance widen his post, because decisions “which person been made, could beryllium unmade”.
The Guardian has separately learned that an alum of nan assemblage has called connected nan New York lawyer general’s charities agency to motorboat an investigation into nan committee of trustees. The alum alleged successful a 17-page missive to nan lawyer general’s agency that nan committee had for years prioritized Botstein – “his reputation, his extracurricular interests, his continued presence, his legacy” – complete nan interests of students, staff, module and nan public.
A spokesperson for Bard and nan committee of trustees did not remark connected questions astir nan ballot aliases nan missive that was sent to nan lawyer general’s office. In an email, nan spokesperson reiterated nan college’s erstwhile statements connected Botstein’s legacy and the independent reappraisal it commissioned connected Botstein’s ties to Epstein. She added: “Our attraction is connected nan early and continuing to cement Bard’s domiciled arsenic nan nation’s premier wide arts college.”
Botstein did not respond to a petition for remark aliases questions astir whether he mightiness activity to situation nan board’s vote.
Questions astir Botstein’s narration pinch Epstein first emerged successful 2019, erstwhile nan New York Times reported that Epstein, a convicted activity offender, gave an “unsolicited” $50,000 aid for Bard precocious schools successful 2011, which was followed by a $75,000 aid successful 2012.
The contention died down but erupted again earlier this year, erstwhile emails released by nan Department of Justice revealed caller specifications astir Botstein and Epstein’s extended correspondence and interaction, including a travel nan assemblage president took to Epstein’s land successful 2012. Bard’s committee hired WilmerHale, nan rule firm, successful February to behaviour a reappraisal of nan pair’s correspondence. The determination to prosecute WilmerHale was, nan Guardian was told by 1 source, supported by past chair Chambers.
The results of that enquiry were publically announced connected 1 May, and coincided pinch Botstein’s announcement that he was retiring, effective 30 June. Botstein suggested successful his connection astatine nan clip that nan determination was voluntary, and that it was tied to nan successful completion of an endowment campaign.
But emails seen by nan Guardian propose that nan committee held a ballot connected Botstein’s statement connected aliases astir 30 April, astatine nan aforesaid gathering successful which WilmerHale presented its findings to nan board.
A summary of nan WilmerHale review, which was released publically connected 1 May, recovered that thing Botstein did successful relationship to his narration pinch Epstein was “illegal”. It besides recovered that nan Bard president was “not afloat accurate” successful describing his narration pinch Epstein publically aliases to nan Bard community, and stated that Botstein did not afloat “see” a consequence to Bard’s estimation erstwhile he pursued Epstein arsenic a philanthropist for nan college, aliases nan imaginable consequence his contacts pinch Epstein posed to Bard students. The rule patient noted that Botstein had not disclosed fees he accepted nether a consulting statement pinch an Epstein entity.
Botstein antecedently denied being friends pinch Epstein, and has said he ne'er witnessed thing inappropriate, nor had immoderate visibility into Epstein’s “monstrous crimes”.
The committee expressed gratitude for Botstein’s work to Bard successful a connection released connected 1 May, but besides noted that nan concerns that had been raised astir Botstein’s interactions pinch Epstein were “serious and profoundly felt”.
The board’s ballot connected Botstein’s statement was contentious, according to emails seen by nan Guardian, and appears to person roiled immoderate members. One trustee, Asher Edelman, claimed successful an email sent connected 1 May to different committee members that nan board’s determination meant “the extremity of our assemblage arsenic we cognize it today”, and chided different committee members for acting “disrespectful” to Botstein. While he wrote that he was not debating whether he agreed pinch “their decision”, he suggested nan ballot was taken without capable financial planning, and that nan members had not acted successful a “sensible” aliases “professional” way. Edelman did not respond to a petition for comment.
In consequence to questions astir Edelman’s evident concerns, a Bard spokesperson pointed to Bard’s finance people enslaved standing and endowment and “stable outlook” for nan future.
“This is noteworthy grounds of nan college’s strength, and a tribute to our committee and leadership, considering really different comparable institutions are facing difficult headwinds,” she said.
Lucas Pipes, a committee personnel who was precocious appointed arsenic a trustee, criticized nan process that led to Botstein’s resignation, according to an email Pipes sent to different committee members connected 1 May, which was seen by nan Guardian.
He wrote successful 1 subhead of his email: “We voted to extremity a 51-year presidency pinch nary scheme for what comes next.”
Pipes said successful nan email that he did not wish to “relitigate” nan ballot connected Botstein’s “contract”, but was captious – among different claims – of nan measurement WilmerHale and consultants had remained “in nan room” aft nan rule patient had presented its findings, while nan committee was making its determination astir Botstein’s future.
“Their beingness during deliberations and nan ballot was procedurally improper and compromised nan independency of nan vote,” Pipes alleged. Another personification acquainted pinch nan matter rejected that claim, saying it was normal for counsel to stay successful nan room to reply questions pursuing specified a review.
Pipes did not respond to a petition for comment.
WilmerHale declined to comment.
Bard confirmed this week that Chambers, nan billionaire heir who served arsenic chair for a decade, has resigned, arsenic good arsenic Mark Brossman, an employment lawyer, and Mostafiz ShahMohammed, an instrumentality finance entrepreneur who successful 2020 donated $5m to nan college. The departures were first reported by nan Daily Catch.
A Bard spokesperson said: “All trustees service connected a unpaid basis, and it’s not uncommon for members to complete their work arsenic their position expire, aliases for changing individual and master circumstances.”
It’s not clear if their departures were linked to nan unrest complete nan Botstein decision; nary of nan 3 departed committee members responded to a petition for comment.
A spokesperson for Bard’s committee of trustees said: “The Board of Trustees is agreed successful its committedness to Bard’s ngo and its fiduciary obligations to nan institution, arsenic good arsenic to our students and faculty. Bard enters this modulation successful a position of genuine spot … The full Board remains focused, aligned, and resolved connected what comes next.”
Chilton, a belief professor, noted successful a connection to nan Guardian that nan committee of trustees has been sending retired “different messages” successful respect to Botstein’s narration pinch Epstein, from expressions of concern, to its distribution of nan WilmerHale summary, to a much caller “laudatory statement” astir Botstein’s tenure and his “decision to retire”.
“In nan aftermath of these changes of tone, nan resignation of nan board’s chair and different members raises concern. The committee bears a work of attraction for students arsenic good arsenic fiduciary work for nan assemblage … Sudden, unexplained changes successful nan board’s rank arsenic a consequence of factional squabbles distract nan assemblage from its chartered purpose,” he told nan Guardian.
It has separately emerged that a Bard College alum has turned to New York authorities authorities successful nan hopes nan committee will look much scrutiny for what nan alum alleged were breaches successful its fiduciary duties. Among different claims successful their missive to nan lawyer general’s charities office, nan alum – who asked to stay anonymous for fearfulness of retaliation – pointed to a 11 May connection by nan board, which stated that trustees had “never doubted that President Botstein’s motive, first and last, has ever been to service nan institution”. It was a characterization, nan alum wrote, that “directly contradicted by nan WilmerHale findings that Botstein concealed philanthropist relationships from nan Board, accepted individual consulting fees from an Epstein entity without disclosure, and that those fees cannot beryllium confirmed to person been donated backmost to Bard arsenic he claimed”.
The New York lawyer general’s agency confirmed it received nan missive and is reviewing it.
