Botstein's Epstein Ties Lead to Bard College Retirement

0:00On May 1st, Leon Botstein, the longtime president of Bar College, is stepping down after an independent review exposed his close ties to Jeffrey, Epstein. The investigation revealed he made 25 visits to Epstein's townhouse and stayed in touch from 2012 to 2019, despite claiming they weren't friends. The review said these interactions should have tipped him off to Epstein's ongoing abuse of women, especially since he was courting the guy as a donor. Here this week, Bard's board got the full Wilmer Hill report on April 30th and Botstein submitted his retirement, effective June 30th. He ignored a warning from a top faculty member about dealing with Epstein, figuring the convicted offender was rehabilitated like any ordinary sex. Criminal who'd done his time. Botstein pushed hard that Bard's money needs came first, even quoting he'd take funds from Satan to do good work. The fallout hit hard, with serious concerns from the community, prompting the probe.

1:00The board thanked those who spoke up, and plans an orderly handover after his 51 years of service. They're redirecting any Epstein-linked funds straight to groups helping survivors of sexual harm. Digging deeper, the report flagged other invites to Epstein, like Stays at Bard's guesthouse, student concerts, and high school visits that could have. Exposed kids to him, though he never showed. Botstein downplayed their bond in public statements to the college and beyond, not fully owning the risks to reputation or students. Botstein says this retirement was already in his plans ahead of his 80th birthday, and he'll stick around as a faculty member, teacher, and musician right on campus. Bard's drawing a line here, prioritizing trust moving forward.