ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — Leon Botstein, who has led Bard College for about 50 years, announced Friday he will retire at the end of June, months after revelations that his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was deeper than previously disclosed.
Botstein, 79, said in an email provided to The Associated Press by Bard that he waited to make the retirement public until an independent review of his communications with Epstein was completed. He will remain on Bard’s faculty as a teacher and musician.
Botstein was not accused of involvement in Epstein’s criminal abuse. Still, Justice Department documents released this year show multiple meetings between Botstein and Epstein, including occasions when Epstein arrived at Bard by helicopter. The records indicate Botstein invited Epstein to Bard’s 2013 commencement, suggested meeting for an opera performance, and referred to their “friendship” in emails. Weeks after The Miami Herald published new details about Epstein’s prosecution in 2018, Botstein emailed Epstein expressing concern for his wellbeing. Epstein also directed $150,000 to Botstein in 2016; Botstein has said he donated that sum to the college.
Bard’s board hired law firm WilmerHale to conduct an independent review of the communications. The review concluded Botstein did not break the law but made decisions in that relationship that reflected on his leadership. It found that Botstein minimized and was not fully accurate in public statements describing his ties to Epstein. At one point, the report says Botstein disagreed with a senior faculty member who argued Bard should not engage with Epstein, expressing a belief that a person convicted of sex crimes could be presumed rehabilitated. The review quoted Botstein as saying, “I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work,” reflecting his view that fundraising needs were paramount.
In a separate message, Bard’s Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees thanked Botstein for decades of service while acknowledging that recent concerns have been “serious and deeply felt.” The committee said funds associated with Epstein will be redirected to organizations supporting survivors of sexual harm. Bard’s media relations office called Botstein “a transformative leader” whose vision helped shape the college.