ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — Leon Botstein, the longtime leader of Bard College, will retire at the end of June after nearly five decades at the institution, the college announced Friday. Botstein, 79, said he delayed making his departure public until an independent review of his communications with Jeffrey Epstein was finished. He will remain on Bard’s faculty as a teacher and musician.
Botstein has not been accused of participating in Epstein’s crimes, but Justice Department records released this year show repeated meetings between him and Epstein, including visits when Epstein arrived at Bard by helicopter. The documents and email exchanges indicate Botstein invited Epstein to Bard’s 2013 commencement, suggested meeting to attend an opera, and referred to their “friendship.” After reporting in 2018 about Epstein’s prosecution, Botstein emailed Epstein expressing concern for his wellbeing. Records also show Epstein directed $150,000 to Botstein in 2016; Botstein has said he gave that money to the college.
Bard’s board hired the law firm WilmerHale to carry out an independent review of Botstein’s communications with Epstein. The report concluded that Botstein did not break the law but that some decisions in his relationship with Epstein reflected on his leadership. It found that Botstein minimized and was not fully accurate in public statements about the extent of his ties to Epstein. The review also recounts an instance in which Botstein disagreed with a senior faculty member who argued that Bard should not engage with Epstein, expressing a belief that someone convicted of sex crimes could be presumed rehabilitated. The report quotes Botstein saying, “I would take money from Satan if it permitted me to do God’s work,” reflecting his view of fundraising imperatives.
In a separate statement, Bard’s Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees thanked Botstein for decades of service while acknowledging recent concerns were “serious and deeply felt.” The committee said funds tied to Epstein will be redirected to organizations supporting survivors of sexual harm. Bard’s media relations office described Botstein as “a transformative leader” whose vision helped shape the college.