Botstein Resigns as New Epstein Allegations Surface

Leon Botstein has resigned from all Bard College–affiliated positions after House Democrats uncovered new details about his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and heard whistleblower allegations that he sexually harassed women while president of Bard.  

The new information suggests Botstein “likely enabled and possibly even participated in Epstein’s abuse” while president, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, wrote in a Wednesday letter to Bard’s acting president and board chairman. Raskin also said the committee, which has been investigating Botstein’s connection to Epstein since June, has received “deeply troubling” reports that Botstein used his influence to meddle in Title IX proceedings while president and “protect sexual predators on the Bard faculty.” 

Documents in the Department of Justice’s Epstein files show that in May 2014, Epstein sent an aspiring young vocalist he’d been trafficking, called Jane Doe, to meet with Botstein, “ostensibly for him to assess her musical talents and provide her with educational guidance,” Raskin wrote. In a May 15, 2014, email to Epstein, Botstein asked, “Is [Jane Doe] for me, or are you keeping her for yourself.” The Department of Justice redacted Botstein’s official presidential email address in the publicly available file, but members of Congress were allowed to view the unredacted file at the DOJ, according to Raskin’s office.

“It is hard to construct any kind of innocent explanation for Botstein’s question and the surrounding events,” Raskin wrote. “We know that Epstein was neither a college president recruiting students nor a symphony director recruiting players, so what would it mean for Botstein to ask Epstein whether Jane Doe was for him or whether Epstein was ‘keeping her for yourself’?” 

In a written statement to Inside Higher Ed on Wednesday, Botstein denied that he wrote or sent the email. 

“The allegations in [Raskin’s] letter are untrue, including an email that I did not author or send. Any assertion that I knew of or was involved in Epstein’s criminal behavior is wrong,” Botstein wrote. “I am confident that any fair review would confirm these facts. But I do not want to see even false allegations about me put the institution I have served for more than half a century at any risk.” 

Botstein retired as Bard’s president in July after months of criticism over his communications with Epstein. He had served in the role for 51 years. In retirement, he has maintained a professorship at Bard and involvement with several music programs, including the graduate program the Orchestra Now. He has resigned from all of those roles. 

Bard Board of Trustees Chairman Brandon Weber said in a statement that the college would undertake a “full review” of the allegations in Raskin’s letter and continue to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee’s investigation.