Bard College

Harvard University and Bard College are facing scrutiny over their ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex trafficker accused of using university connections to facilitate abuse and avoid detection. Lawmaker Jamie Raskin has called for a comprehensive investigation and requested an interview with Bard's outgoing president.

Harvard University and Bard College are facing new scrutiny over their relationships with Jeffrey Epstein, as Jamie Raskin, a House judiciary committee member, seeks a comprehensive accounting and an interview with Bard's outgoing president. The article alleges Epstein used university ties to traffic women and avoid detection, with prior investigations by the institutions deemed incomplete.

Bard College's longtime president announced his retirement following revelations of a deeper-than-known relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The scrutiny over his ties to Epstein led to the decision.

Bard College president Leon Botstein is stepping down after an investigation revealed he had 25 visits to Jeffrey Epstein's townhouse and multiple interactions with the convicted sex offender, which an independent review suggested could have alerted him to Epstein's abuse. The WilmerHale law firm found Botstein's contacts with Epstein included visits to Epstein's private island and Bard College, involving women later identified as victims.

Bard College president Leon Botstein informed staff he believed Jeffrey Epstein was not 'reprehensible' and expects to be cleared in an ongoing inquiry into their past communications. WilmerHale, a law firm, is reviewing the emails between Botstein and Epstein as part of an investigation initiated by the college's board of trustees in February.