Former Bard College president Leon Botstein has resigned from all institutional roles following a Congressional inquiry into his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
The resignation came on Wednesday. ending Leon Botstein’s 50-year tenure at Bard College with a sudden departure from the remaining roles he held at the institution. The exit followed a direct intervention from the House Judiciary Committee. which issued a letter to Board Chair Brandon Weber and Acting President Jonathan Becker alleging that Botstein “likely enabled and possibly even participated in Epstein’s abuse” during his presidency.
At the center of the legislative scrutiny is a May 2014 email sent from the college president’s address. Representative Jamie Raskin. leading the investigation alongside Representative Madeleine Dean. flagged the correspondence as “startling.” In it. the sender asks Jeffrey Epstein—a convicted sex offender—if a woman Epstein was purportedly grooming was “for me. or are you keeping her for yourself.” Raskin noted. “It is hard to construct any kind of innocent explanation for Botstein’s question and the surrounding events. ” characterizing the exchange as a inquiry sent to a major predator regarding a victim of trafficking.
The House Judiciary Committee’s inquiry suggests the reach of the alleged misconduct extends well beyond a single email. The committee claims it received multiple reports of Botstein “personally engaging in sexual misconduct and abusing his power. ” citing allegations that range from groping women to asking sexualized questions during tenure interviews. Furthermore. the committee alleges that Botstein protected other offenders and maintained personal. “highly irregular” oversight of Title IX cases. which govern sex-based discrimination on campus.
Botstein. who served as Bard president from 1975 to 2026. had remained a prominent campus figure even after announcing his retirement earlier this spring. Despite the prior scrutiny regarding his relationship with Epstein. he continued to teach at the liberal arts college and resided in the official president’s home while the institution reportedly finished renovations on an off-campus residency for him. Following the committee’s latest accusations. Botstein maintained his innocence. stating that “any assertion that I knew of or was involved in Epstein’s criminal behavior is wrong.” He framed his resignation as an attempt to shield the college. noting he did “not want to see even false allegations about me put the institution I have served for more than half a century put at any risk.”.
The gap between the committee’s account and the institution’s defensive posture highlights a growing institutional crisis. While Board Chair Brandon Weber stated that the college is performing a “full review” of the committee’s allegations and cooperating with the probe. he also countered specific procedural claims. Weber asserted that Bard “maintains a fair. impartial. and accessible Title IX process” and noted that the college president has lacked unilateral authority over Title IX adjudications since the 2015-2016 academic year.
The pressure is now moving toward federal law enforcement. Representatives Raskin and Dean have dispatched a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel. urging the Department of Justice and the bureau to conduct a “serious investigation” into the potential crimes suggested by the evidence in the Epstein files. specifically calling for an end to what they labeled a “cover-up.”.
Leon Botstein Bard College Jeffrey Epstein House Judiciary Committee Jamie Raskin Title IX college president resignation