Bard faculty call for ‘transition’ plan for college president linked to Epstein | Jeffrey Epstein

Bard College faculty members called on the group’s board of trustees to develop a “leadership transition” plan for Leon Botstein, but stopped short of calling for the college president’s resignation following revelations about his relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The board of trustees announced Feb. 19 that it had retained outside law firm WilmerHale to conduct an “independent review” of communications between Epstein and Botstein, who served as president of the college for 50 years.

The professors have remained – until now – silent on the revelations that emerged as part of the latest round of emails and other communications released by the Justice Department, and which included that Botstein took a trip to Epstein’s island in 2012.

A person involved in the matter said faculty members discussed for two weeks how to respond to the controversy and debated different courses of action, including some who wanted to call for Botstein’s resignation, and felt that enough was now known about his relationship with Epstein to be considered “disqualifying.”

Botstein has previously defended his relationship with the sexual predator, who pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor in 2008.

Botstein, who has worked at Bard since 1975, said he first came into contact with Epstein in 2011 — years after it became known that Epstein was a sex offender — after receiving what is said to be an unsolicited $75,000 gift from Epstein to Bard High School Early College. Botstein said he continued this relationship “in fulfilling my responsibilities as the college’s primary fundraiser.”

He also said in a letter to the campus community that Epstein was “not my friend,” according to a WAMC News report.

Botstein also claimed that he was sick and left alone at a dinner he attended on Epstein’s island in 2012, and that he went there only to attend a fundraiser with billionaire investor Leon Black.

Ultimately, the statement agreed to by faculty representing multiple divisions of the college, which was then presented to the Faculty Senate, which agreed to share it with the Board of Trustees, took a more conservative approach.

“This statement represents the voices of faculty from all academic disciplines at Bard College, who are calling for open inquiry, institutional self-examination, and commitment to change at this time. The seriousness of the situation demands both moral clarity and procedural fairness,” the statement said.

“We share the deep outrage and horror over the revelations contained in the Epstein files and express our deepest support for the women and children who were exploited, trafficked, entrapped, and abused by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. The revelations about President Botstein’s relationship with Epstein raise questions that concern the College as a whole as well as President Botstein personally.”

The statement also expressed support for the board’s decision to hold an independent review of the college’s records and policies regarding donor selection, fundraising, codes of conduct and conflicts of interest.

“We believe faculty must play a critical role in deciding the next steps following the investigation, with the goal of building a strong future for the institution,” the statement said.

The faculty statement also highlights what is known as the “Botstein Proposal” to develop a plan for a leadership transition. This is a reference, said a person involved in the matter, who did not want to speak on the record because of possible retaliation, to comments Botstein allegedly made during a February meeting with faculty leaders and program directors, during which he discussed the possibility of his retirement in the near future. This was interpreted by people who heard it to mean either within the calendar year or 2-3 years, the person said.

In a statement to the Guardian, the board said: “The law firm considers all comments and communications, and proceeds as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough review. The board aims to share the results as soon as it can.”