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🇮🇱 Israel /Crime & Justice

Bard College President Leon Botstein to Retire Amid Jeffrey Epstein Ties Investigation

From Jerusalem Post · (6m ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Bard College President Leon Botstein will retire after a 50-year tenure following an investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
  • The investigation found Botstein had minimized and was not fully accurate about his relationship with Epstein, including multiple visits to his New York townhouse and island.
  • While Botstein's actions were not illegal, the college's Board of Trustees stated they reflected on his leadership, leading to his departure.

Leon Botstein, a towering figure in American higher education and a former director of the Jerusalem Symphony, is stepping down from his 50-year presidency at Bard College. The Jerusalem Post has followed Botstein's career with interest, noting his deep connections to both the arts and his Jewish heritage. His eventual retirement, prompted by an investigation into his ties with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, brings a complex chapter to a close.

Nothing that President Botstein did in connection with his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was illegal, but President Botstein made decisions in the course of that relationship that reflect on his leadership of Bard.

— Bard College Board of TrusteesIn a summary of the investigation report released by the school.

The investigation, commissioned by Bard's Board of Trustees, revealed that Botstein had understated the extent of his relationship with Epstein, including undisclosed visits to Epstein's properties. While the report concluded that Botstein's conduct was not illegal, it acknowledged that his decisions reflected poorly on his leadership of Bard College. This finding, particularly the detail that Epstein brought women to Bard's campus without Botstein questioning their safety, despite knowing Epstein was a convicted sex offender, is deeply concerning.

minimized and was not fully accurate

— WilmerHale investigatorsDescribing Botstein's portrayal of his ties to Epstein.

Botstein's own words, "I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work," quoted in the report, highlight a perceived willingness to compromise for the sake of the college's financial needs. This perspective, while perhaps understandable from an institutional fundraising standpoint, raises serious ethical questions, especially given the nature of Epstein's crimes. For readers in Israel, where discussions around ethical leadership and the handling of sensitive issues are paramount, Botstein's retirement serves as a stark reminder of the scrutiny that public figures face, regardless of their past achievements.

I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work.

— Leon BotsteinQuoted in the WilmerHale report regarding his willingness to secure funding for Bard College.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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