Bard College President Leon Botstein announced his retirement Friday following fallout over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Botstein, who has led the private liberal arts college in New York’s Hudson Valley for half a century, will retire when his term ends June 30 after a report found the college’s president maintained an ongoing relationship with Epstein despite knowing he was a convicted sex offender.
The college’s Board of Trustees in February commissioned the law firm WilmerHale after Botstein’s name appeared thousands of times in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Epstein Library.
While the law firm noted it did not find Botstein acted illegally, the firm found Botstein’s contacts with Epstein between 2012 and 2019, when Epstein was found dead inside a New York jail, included 25 visits to Epstein’s townhouse and a two-day visit to Epstein’s island. The report also noted Epstein made two visits to Bard and to various recitals and concerts "accompanied by multiple women who have since been identified as victims of Epstein."
Botstein has defended his contacts with the disgraced financier as being solely about fundraising.
In his announcement, Botstein touted his efforts to grow the school’s endowment to $1 billion, noting his marshalling of “nearly $3 billion of philanthropy from numerous sources.”
According to the WilmerHale report, Botstein’s view was, “I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work.”
On Saturday, the morning after the news broke, the campus was quiet and birds chirped. Emily Shores said she wasn’t surprised that Botstein is retiring.
“As soon as you get on campus, there are rumors about [Epstein’s] relationship with Botstein. So it wasn't extremely surprising. I think everyone's just very disappointed in him, and especially the press that Bard is getting because of it. I think that he didn't do a very good job at addressing any of that,” Shores said.
The report summary, sent to Bard's Board of Trustees on April 30, makes repeated mention of Botstein’s unwillingness to scrutinize Epstein's behavior.
“In deciding to pursue Jeffrey Epstein in 2012, President Botstein was presented with information regarding Epstein’s crimes to which he pled guilty in 2008 and the related allegations against him,” the report says. “President Botstein did not try to further understand what Epstein had done or learn what it meant that Epstein was found in 2011 to be a New York State Level 3 Sex Offender.”
The report also says Botstein “is adamant that he did not see the young women who surrounded Epstein or those he was asked to help as possible victims, given how busy he is and how often he is asked to help people in the course of his busy schedule.”
Some members of the campus community have been calling for the president’s resignation for weeks.
In his announcement, Botstein said he was waiting for the law firm to finish its report.
“I believe it was prudent and in the best interest of Bard to wait until the WilmerHale review was complete to make this announcement,” Botstein wrote.
On Saturday, first-year student Katie Monique said many students, especially international students, are worried about how Botstein leaving could financially affect the school.
“I think that's why many students aren't speaking out or joining some of the protests and stuff on campus. Because they're afraid of their future [and] what [Botstein] leaving might mean financially,” said Monique.
In its letter to the campus community, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees addressed concerns about future donors.
“The college is committed to strengthening its policies on donor vetting, fundraising, and conflicts of interest,” the board wrote.
The board said it is working with outside counsel to finalize guidelines around donors.
The board expressed gratitude toward Botstein for his "five decades of service to Bard College, his countless accomplishments and the lasting impact of his leadership.”
The trustees also said they remain focused on the well-being of the campus community.
“We are grateful for the resilience, care, and continued commitment of students, faculty, staff, and alumni during this time,” the board wrote.
In addition, board leaders noted they will soon announce an interim leader for next year as well as details of what will go into their national search for Bard’s next president.
Meanwhile, Botstein said he intends to remain a presence on campus and would live at Finberg House. In his retirement, Botstein said he plans to focus his energy on teaching and music. And he said he intends to stay involved with cultural events like the Bard Music Festival, SummerScape, and the Bard Conservatory.
In a statement, Bard College called Botstein “a transformative leader with the vision and unwavering commitment that has shaped Bard into the world-class educational institution it is today.”
The college added it is “confident in Bard’s future and dedicated to ensuring this institution we all love continues to grow, thrive and model excellence.”
