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Bard President Leon Botstein to Step Down After Epstein Review

An outside review found he downplayed extensive contacts with Jeffrey Epstein, prompting fresh scrutiny of donor vetting.

Overview

  • Bard released an outside summary Friday, after which Leon Botstein said he will leave the presidency on June 30.
  • Investigators documented about 25 visits to Jeffrey Epstein’s New York townhouse and a two-day stay on his private island, building on DOJ files that named Botstein more than 2,800 times.
  • The report said Epstein was invited to campus events and even a guest cottage, a pattern that could have exposed Bard students to him.
  • Records show Epstein sent Bard gifts through an entity called Enhanced Education in 2011 and 2012 and later paid Botstein $150,000 for undisclosed consulting.
  • Trustees said his actions were legal but showed poor judgment and they plan to appoint an interim leader, launch a national search, and strengthen donor-vetting and conflict-disclosure rules.