Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College for 50 years, announced his retirement following revelations of his deeper-than-known relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Botstein, 79, will retire in June but will continue teaching at Bard. Although not accused of involvement in Epstein’s crimes, Botstein was part of a group of prominent individuals who maintained ties with Epstein. Documents showed Botstein met Epstein multiple times and invited him to Bard events. An independent review by WilmerHale found Botstein did not act illegally but was not fully transparent about his relationship with Epstein. Botstein claimed his interactions with Epstein were for college fundraising, and he donated $150,000 from Epstein to Bard. The review criticized Botstein for minimizing his relationship with Epstein in public statements.
QUESTION: How might leaders balance the need for fundraising with ethical considerations in their professional relationships?
Bard College’s president to retire after scrutiny of relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
