Colleges and universities nationwide are reeling as newly released Justice Department files reveal extensive ties between Jeffrey Epstein and high-profile individuals within academia. It has forced administrators at schools from state universities to the Ivy League to launch investigations, face calls to rename buildings, and cut ties with powerful fundraisers.
President Leon Botstein of Bard College in New York was found to have maintained ties with Epstein up until 2017, even planning a trip to Epstein’s infamous island as late as 2012. According to The Hill, the school defended Botstein, stating, “The nature of President Botstein’s fundraising contact with Epstein never revealed how monstrous, cruel, and dangerous he turned out to be.”
At an institutional level, Ohio State University is receiving calls to rename the Wexner Medical Center, named after billionaire Les Wexner, who famously gave Epstein power of attorney until 2007. Columbia University, meanwhile, is under scrutiny for reversing its decision to deny Epstein’s girlfriend admission to its dental school after receiving donations from Epstein around the same time. Beyond the institutions, individual faculty members have been hit, too.
Nothing like the power of money to make institutions run after you
Ohio State’s Mark Landon, an OB-GYN and professor in the College of Medicine, is under scrutiny for receiving thousands of dollars from Epstein in the early 2000s. He stated that he “did not provide any clinical care for Jeffrey Epstein or any of his victims. I was a paid consultant for the New York Strategy Group regarding potential biotech investments from 2001 to 2005. I had no knowledge of any criminal activities; I find them reprehensible and I feel terrible for Epstein’s victims.”
Professor Nicholas Christakis of Yale University justified his meetings with Epstein, saying, “Like many other scientists who crossed his path, I was appalled by the revelations about Mr. Epstein that emerged after my very limited interactions with him in 2013 in the context of fundraising for my lab at Yale.”
An Ohio State professor just tackled a cameraman to the ground for asking questions about Epstein.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 13, 2026
I think we can all guess his political affiliation based on that reaction to an uncomfortable question…pic.twitter.com/gjlivq0wgV
Another Yale professor, David Gelernter, corresponded with Epstein, telling one source he “liked chatting with E because he was brilliant & funny in conversation.” Gelernter claims he didn’t know about the criminal history at the time, and Yale currently has him under administrative review and out of the classroom while that process is ongoing.
Experts believe that the fear of losing out on major donors is what led to Epstein’s relationships within academia, especially as they face federal funding cuts, enrollment challenges, and general economic pressures. However, this short-term thinking can lead to damaging public opinion fallout for institutions. In fact, public outcry has already led to the removal of a professor from UCLA.
“This is a classic example of short-term thinking that leads to communications crises." Group Gordon's Marykate Mattiello spoke to @Lexi_Lonas at @thehill about how colleges and universities are responding to the latest disclosures from the Epstein files. https://t.co/BLa3tXgmvX
— Group Gordon (@GroupGordon) February 13, 2026
Institutions like Harvard University, Duke University, and MIT are all scrambling to explain their own links. Philip Hauserman, a senior vice president of crisis communications, advises universities to act proactively, acknowledge the relationship, and apologize, rather than waiting for public outrage to force their hand.
