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Bard College's Board of Trustees has retained an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into communications between longtime President Leon Botstein and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following new revelations about their relationship.
The board announced Thursday that WilmerHale will conduct an independent review of the "full scope" of communications between Botstein and Epstein, as well as financial contributions connected to Epstein and any related matters. The announcement comes after thousands of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed Botstein's name appearing more than 2,800 times in emails and messages connected to Epstein.
In a message sent Thursday to students, faculty, and staff, the board acknowledged "a number of fair and important questions raised about communications between President Leon Botstein and Jeffrey Epstein." The statement recognized "how difficult this moment is for our community and the pain and concern that it has caused."
Once the review is complete, WilmerHale will make recommendations to the board regarding policies and practices on donor vetting, fundraising, codes of conduct, and conflicts of interest. The board said it would then share the results and communicate how the college will "move forward as a community," though no timeline for the review was provided.
Botstein, who has led Bard since 1975, responded to the board's announcement with a brief message expressing his "endorsement and full support." He has maintained that his relationship with Epstein was strictly professional and focused on fundraising for the college. Through a spokesperson, Botstein has stated that Epstein "wasn't a friend" and described him as a "skilled manipulator" who falsely presented himself as a generous philanthropist.
The newly released documents include emails showing Botstein visited Epstein's island in 2012 and toured the Bard campus with Epstein in 2013. According to reports from the Epstein files, Epstein donated $75,000 to Bard in 2012 and provided 66 laptops in 2015. Epstein also paid Botstein $150,000 for consulting work, which Botstein has said he donated to the college.
However, the correspondence reviewed by news organizations includes multiple instances in which Botstein referred to a "friendship" with Epstein and offered support following negative media coverage, including after a 2015 lawsuit alleging sex trafficking and again in 2018 after renewed public scrutiny of Epstein's conduct.
The revelations have prompted campus unrest, with students circulating petitions calling for greater transparency and, in some cases, Botstein's resignation. One petition demanding an independent inquiry had gathered more than 250 signatures from individuals identifying themselves as students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff. Last week, Botstein met with students at his residence, where attendees said people were shouting "resign" by the end of the meeting.
Botstein first came into contact with Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor in 2008. Botstein has said he pursued the relationship "in fulfillment of my responsibilities as the chief fundraiser of the college."
The board's announcement represents Bard's first public response to mounting scrutiny over the president's relationship with the convicted sex predator.