Bard College president to retire after revelations of his ties to Epstein
Leon Botstein, president of Bard College for 50 years, will retire at the end of June following revelations of his extensive ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. An independent review found that Botstein minimized and was not fully truthful about the nature of his relationship with Epstein, though he did not break any laws. The college acknowledged Botstein's transformative leadership but stated that concerns over his conduct warranted serious scrutiny.
- ▪Leon Botstein is stepping down as president of Bard College after five decades in the role.
- ▪An independent review by WilmerHale found that Botstein downplayed and was inaccurate in describing his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
- ▪Botstein communicated with Epstein after 2018 media reports on Epstein's crimes and referred to him as a 'friend' in emails.
- ▪Epstein provided $150,000 to Botstein in 2016, which Botstein said he donated to the college.
- ▪Bard's board will redirect funds associated with Epstein to organizations supporting survivors of sexual harm.
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U.S. Bard College president to retire after revelations of his ties to Epstein May 1, 2026 / 10:31 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google The longtime president of Bard College announced his retirement Friday, months after it was revealed that he had a much deeper relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than was previously known.Leon Botstein, 79, who has been president of the small, liberal arts college in New York for a half century, will retire at the end of June, he wrote in a lengthy letter to the campus community.
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