Bard president Leon Botstein stepping down after inquiry into his Epstein ties

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Fri 1 May 2026 17.52 EDT
Last modified on Fri 1 May 2026 17.54 EDT


Leon Botstein has announced he is stepping down from the helm of Bard College, after an independent review of his contacts with Jeffrey Epstein found the college president’s frequent interactions with the convicted sex offender “could have alerted” him to the possibility that he and Bard would be facilitating Epstein’s abuse of women.

An investigation by the WilmerHale law firm, which had been commissioned by Bard’s board of trustees earlier this year to review Botstein’s interactions with Epstein, found the Bard president – who had previously claimed he was not friends with Epstein – made about 25 visits to Epstein’s townhouse, a two-day visit to Epstein’s Little St James Island, and that there were two visits by Epstein to Bard. These visits, WilmerHale reported, included “multiple women” who have since been identified as victims of Epstein.

Epstein and Botstein, who has not been charged with wrongdoing in connection with his relationship with the accused sex trafficker, were in contact from 2012 to 2019.

The WilmerHale review also suggested that Botstein had been warned by a senior faculty member that he should not engage with Epstein, who the president was courting as a donor to the college. The report by Wilmer Hale found that instead of heeding that apparent warning, Botstein relied on the view that “an ordinary sex offender” like Epstein could be presumed to be rehabilitated, since he had served time in prison. Botstein forcefully argued, Wilmer Hale said, that “Bard’s need for funds was paramount”. “His view was, ‘I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work,’” the report stated.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/01/president-bard-college-resign-leon-botstein-jeffrey-epstein

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REFERENCES

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143619066
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143626902

[Deuxcents]

1. These slime balls are hiding in plain sight and need exposed because they don't have the decency to go on their own

[UpInArms]

2. His view was, 'I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God's work,'" the report stated.

What an evil person.

I hope he burns in whatever hell he believes in.

[Seinan Sensei]

6. "The problem with tainted money is there t'aint enough!"

Attributed to William Booth,
founder of The Salvation Army.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

3. "who had previously claimed he was not friends with Epstein - made about 25 visits to Epstein's townhouse, a two-day vis

"who had previously claimed he was not friends with Epstein – made about 25 visits to Epstein’s townhouse, a two-day visit to Epstein’s Little St James Island, and that there were two visits by Epstein to Bard. These visits, WilmerHale reported, included “multiple women” who have since been identified as victims of Epstein."


He is another customer, creep of epstein..abuser of women

[erronis]

4. Epstein exposed huge weaknesses in the psyches of men: lust - for power, money, sex

Not saying it doesn't exist in women, but men seem to lose all executive function when tempted.

I'll guess that there those so far named are only 10% of those influenced by Epstein.

And that most of the others would react similarly if approached.

Sad commentary on my subset of humanity.

[calimary]

14. It's the "Big Three": power, money, and sex.

[generalbetrayus]

5. Steely Dan's Fagen and Becker attended Bard College back in the day.

Fagen may have to rewrite the line from "My Old School", "Oh. no, William and Mary won't do now", to say "Oh, no, Bard College won't do now."

[eggplant]

7. He didn't even get a proverbial slap on the wrist.

He will remain on faculty with free on-campus housing. He'll keep all of his other music activities. He denied everything until the report came out, then shrugged it off without so much as an apology.

He deserves to be kicked to the curb. For cause.

[niyad]

11. His "resignation" date is 30 June. The college is letting him stay in offfice

for two months. Disgusting and inexcusable.

[eggplant]

12. The board is complicit.

He dictated his own terms. They had no plan in place in case he was hit by a bus. I have to assume that he got his get out of jail free card after threatening a lawsuit.

As an alum from Simon's Rock, I've known Leon since the mid '80s. We grudgingly took their money at the time to avoid having to close, but nobody, and I mean NOBODY, ever thought he was anything but a pompous jackass.'

Honestly, if this drags all of Bard down the tubes, I won't lose sleep. They are all a bunch of enablers.

[jfz9580m]

8. Yes!

Good riddance creep..

[niyad]

10. ". .an ORDINARY (emphasis mine) sex offender . .rehabilitated, since

he served time in prison (where he spent almost NO TIME) . " There is so much wrong/sick/twisted with that statement, I don't even know where to start. "Ordinary" sex offenders don't bother him at all? The mind reels.

May he, and his enablers and supporters, receive everything they deserve. It looks like the entire staff, etc. needs to be investigated. With their demonstrated attitudes about sexual abuse, no woman is safe on that campus.

I just looked at Bard's wiki entry.. . a 1.5 billion endowment? Not exactly broke. What chilled me was the report of epstein's repeated visits to the campus, and his specific interest in Bard's early college program. Alarm bells!

[flvegan]

13. Bard College should lose any accreditation it has.

Consequences. It's a word with meaning.