Bard College President Leon Botstein retiring after Jeffrey Epstein ties detailed
A WilmerHale review found Botstein minimized his Epstein ties, and Bard said his decisions reflected on leadership after a two-month investigation.
- On Friday, Bard College President Leon Botstein announced his retirement following a two-month investigation into his contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The New York Times reported.
- The WilmerHale investigation found Botstein 'minimized and was not fully accurate in describing his relationship with Epstein' to the Bard community, concluding his decisions reflected on his leadership despite being legal.
- During the probe, Botstein defended pursuing Epstein as a donor, stating, 'I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God's work,' despite knowing his New York State Level Three Sex Offender status.
- Department of Justice files revealed Botstein exchanged messages with Epstein for years, including a 2013 note where he signed off 'Miss you,' contradicting his earlier disclosures to the Bard Board.
- Botstein highlighted nearly 3 billion dollars raised during his tenure, yet the controversy threatens to unsettle donors and trustees at the Annandale-on-Hudson college during a critical fundraising period.
40 Articles
40 Articles
Bard College's president to retire after scrutiny of relationship with Epstein
The longtime president of Bard College announced his retirement Friday, months after it was revealed that he had a much deeper relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than was previously known. Leon Botstein, who has been president of the small, liberal arts college inn New York for a half century, will retire at the end of June, he wrote in an email...
Bard College president steps down, months after his deep ties to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed
The longtime president of Bard College announced his retirement Friday, months after it was revealed that he had a much deeper relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than was previously known. Leon Botstein, who has been president of the small, liberal arts college inn New York for a half century, will retire at the end of June, he wrote in an email provided to The Associated Press by Bard. In the note, Botstein, 79, didn’t mention the scrutiny of hi…
Bard College president exits as Epstein ties draw scrutiny
Leon Botstein announced on Friday that he is stepping down as the longtime president of Bard College amid scrutiny over his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Botstein wrote in an email obtained by The Associated Press that he would retire at the end of June, ending his decades-long tenure at the helm of…
Bard College Chief Leon Botstein Steps Down After Probe Finds He Made 25 Visits to Epstein Townhouse
Bard College president Leon Botstein is stepping down after an independent investigation found he made around 25 visits to Jeffrey Epstein's New York townhouse, according to a report by law firm WilmerHale released in April 2026. According to The Guardian, Botstein's move to step down suggests those interactions could have exposed the college to serious reputational and ethical risks. The news follows months of investigation after Bard's board o…
Bard College president to retire after revelations of his ties to Epstein
The longtime president of Bard College announced his retirement, months after it was revealed that he had a much deeper relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than was previously known.
The Toronto Star
Bard College’s president to retire after scrutiny of relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (AP) — The longtime president of Bard College announced his retirement Friday, months after it was revealed that he had a much deeper relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than
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